scholarly journals Quizzes in Every Other Session Improve Undergraduate EFL Learners' Pronunciation Achievement

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 65
Author(s):  
Mohammad Reza Ghorbani
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Training Program ◽  
English Literature ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
English Teaching ◽  
And Control ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Experimental Group

The proponents of frequent quizzes claim that they stimulate students and have a positive effect on their learning, while the opponents argue that too frequent quizzes might frustrate students and hinder their learning. This study examined the effect of frequent quizzes on Iranian undergraduate English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ pronunciation achievement. The nonequivalent group, pretest-posttest design was employed to study two classes of English literature and English teaching students, who were taking the Phonology Course, at Kosar University of Bojnord (KUB) as the experimental group (EG) and control group (CG) respectively. Two 40-item pronunciation tests were developed based on the 3rd edition of the book Ship or Sheep written by Baker (2006). The reliability of the tests was estimated 0.78 and 0.81 respectively through KR-21 formula. After the pretest administration, both groups were exposed to the same activities; however, only the EG took the quizzes every other session. At the end of the training program, the pretests were rearranged and used as the posttests. The results of the independent samples t-tests from the posttests revealed that the EG had a better performance than the CG suggesting that EFL learners’ pronunciation achievement can improve if quizzes are used every other session.

scholarly journals The Effect of Explicit Pronunciation Instruction on Undergraduate EFL Learners' Vowel Perception

2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Reza Ghorbani ◽  
Malihe Neissari ◽  
Hamid Reza Kargozari
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
English Literature ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Sound System ◽  
Vowel Perception ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Pronunciation Instruction ◽  
Persian Language ◽  
And Control ◽  
Experimental Group

Since English pronunciation errors are often caused by the transfer of the Persian language sound system, the present study investigated the effect of explicit pronunciation instruction on undergraduate English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ vowel perception enhancement. The nonequivalent group, pretest-posttest design was employed to study two classes of English literature and English teaching students at Kosar University of Bojnord (KUB) as the experimental group (EG) and control group (CG) respectively. A 40-item minimal pair test was developed based on the 3rd edition of the book Ship or Sheep written by Baker (2006). The reliability of the test was estimated 0.75 through KR-21 formula. After the pretest administration, both groups were exposed to the same activities; however, only the EG received the treatment regarding explicit pronunciation instruction. At the end of an eight-week training program, the pretest was used as the posttest. The results of the independent samples t-test from the posttest revealed that the EG had a better performance than the CG suggesting that EFL learners’ vowel perception can improve if they are explicitly made aware of their pronunciation errors.

scholarly journals The effects of explicit pronunciation instruction on the degree of perceived foreign accent in the speech of EFL learners

2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 253-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ghazi Algethami
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Foreign Accent ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Pronunciation Instruction ◽  
Before And After ◽  
And Control ◽  
Experimental Group

This paper reports on a study that attempted to examine the effect of explicit pronunciation instruction of some English segments (individual sounds) on the degree of perceived foreign accent in EFL Arab learners’ speech. Nine Arab learners of English in an EFL (English as a foreign language) setting were assigned to two groups, experimental and control. Five utterances loaded with the taught segments were collected from both groups before and after instruction. While the experimental group received instruction on these segments, the control group did not. 13 native English listeners were recruited to rate all the elicited sentences for the degree of perceived foreign accent. The results did not show any effect of explicit pronunciation instruction on the degree of perceived foreign accent, as there were no differences between the ratings before and after the instruction.

scholarly journals The Effect of Using Cell Phone Dictionary on Improving Male and Female Iranian EFL Learners’ Spelling

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 175
Author(s):  
Amir Reza Nemat Tabrizi ◽  
Mohammad Bagheri Fard
Keyword(s):  
Cell Phone ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Class Session ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
The Mean ◽  
And Control ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Experimental Group

<p>This paper attempts to investigate the effect of using cell phone dictionaries on improving male and female Iranian high school EFL learners’ spelling. To this end, ninety participants were randomly selected from Dinodanesh and Etrat high schools in Lordegan city, and they were given a spelling pretest based on their course book. Then sixty subjects whose scores were within the range of one standard deviation above and below the mean were selected as homogeneous and divided into experimental and control groups. Using cell phone dictionaries was conducted in eight class session, during which experimental group received training with cell phone dictionaries while the control group only received training without any cell phone dictionaries. The data were collected via a pretest and a posttest. The analysis of the test scores using t-test revealed that the experimental group did statistically better in the test. The results revealed that using cell phone dictionary had positive effect on improving EFL learners’ spelling. At the end, a two-way ANOVA was run to compare the two groups plus the effect of gender on such performance. The results indicated that treatment have an effect on the improving of both male and female EFL learners’ spelling.</p>

Pragmatic instruction in L2-Russian

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-95
Author(s):  
Daniele Artoni ◽  
Valentina Benigni ◽  
Elena Nuzzo
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Speech Acts ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Written Discourse ◽  
Instructional Treatment ◽  
Completion Task ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Experimental Group ◽  
National Corpus ◽  
Pragmatic Instruction

Over the last three decades, a growing number of studies have investigated the effects of instruction on the acquisition of pragmatic features in L2. The bulk of this research has focused mainly on the teaching of English as a second/foreign language. However, instructional pragmatic studies in L2-Russian are lacking. The main purpose of our study is to contribute towards filling this gap by analysing the effects of pragmatic instruction on the acquisition of two speech acts by Italian learners of Russian. Furthermore, we aim to explore whether the Multimodal Russian Corpus (MURCO), a multimedia subcorpus of the Russian National Corpus, can be an effective tool for teaching speech acts in L2-Russian. Our research was composed of one experimental group (n = 18) and one control group (n = 11); each was composed of two intact classes of Italian university students at an intermediate level of L2-Russian, who were pre- and post-tested using a written discourse completion task. The experimental group was subjected to a programme of pragmatic instruction – eight thirty-minute MURCO-based lessons devoted to requests and advice, while the control group was taught according to the standard syllabus, that is, with no pragmatic instruction. The results revealed that the use of the target pragmatic features varied significantly in the experimental group, but not in the control group, thus showing a general positive effect of the instructional treatment based on the MURCO corpus. However, some limitations were identified with regard to the usability of this tool by teachers and learners.

scholarly journals The Effect of Using Group Work Technique on Developing Attitudes of non-English Major Students towards Learning English as a Foreign Language

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (103) ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Asst. Instr. Hayder Abdulzahra Shalash
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Group Work ◽  
Basic Education ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
English Major ◽  
And Control ◽  
Experimental Group ◽  
Work Technique ◽  
Learning English

       The present study aims at investigating the effect of applying group work technique on developing non-English major students' attitude towards learning English as a foreign language .Two null hypotheses have been formulated; the first hypothesis states that there is no statistically significant difference between the experimental and control group in their attitude towards learning EFL after the experiment. The second one states that there is no statistically significant difference in (pre-post questionnaire) of the experimental group students' attitude towards learning EFL. To achieve the aim of the study, and verify its hypothesis, the researcher has applied eight week experiment. A sample of 62 students has been chosen and divided into experimental and control groups. It has been chosen randomly from the second year students in the Basic Education College/ Department of History/Academic year (2017-2018).        The attitude questionnaire for both groups was applied before and after the experiment. After processing the results statistically, it was found that there is a statistically significant difference in favor of the experimental group. Having used the t-test formula, it was found that there is statistically significant development in the experimental group students' attitude towards learning EFL, which in turn indicates that the use of GWT is more effective than the traditional method.  Conclusion and recommendations were drawn.  

scholarly journals The effect of peripheral learning on elementary EFL learners’ grammar improvement: The case of prepositions of time and place

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 91-100
Author(s):  
Islam Namazian Doost ◽  
Soheila Tahmasbi
Keyword(s):  
T Test ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Teaching Environment ◽  
Learning Abilities ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Elementary Classes ◽  
And Control ◽  
Experimental Group

This study aims to investigate the possible effects of peripheral learning on elementary EFL learners’ grammar improvement: the case of prepositions of time and place. Two elementary classes were selected as experimental and control groups. Before beginning the treatment, a grammar test was administered to both the groups as a pre-test. Then, as treatment, the experimental group was exposed to realia, pictures, posters and texts, while the control group was not. After term-long treatment of 10 weeks, the two groups received the same grammar test as post-test. The results of t-test showed that the experimental group improved their grammar ability, i.e., knowledge of prepositions of time and place more than their friends in the control group. The finding of the study may open an optional path for teachers to include some peripheral materials in their teaching environment to further invest on unconscious learning abilities of the students.   Keywords: Peripheral learning, reposition of time, prepositions of place, grammar.

scholarly journals Scrambled Cloze Procedure: Does It Influence EFL Learners’ Reading Comprehension and Writing Performance?

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 815
Author(s):  
Jahanbakhsh Nikoopour ◽  
Mino Bargnil
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Writing Performance ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Reading And Writing ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Cloze Procedure ◽  
And Control ◽  
Experimental Group

The present study investigated the effect of using scrambled cloze procedure on reading and writing among intermediate EFL learners. To fulfill the purpose of the study, 60 participants were tested on a PET test, from whom 48 homogeneous participants were selected and assigned randomly to two groups of 25 and 23, as experimental and control group. Then, both groups were given a pre-test of writing and reading comprehension. During 14 sessions, the experimental group were provided with scrambled cloze samples and tasks while practicing paragraph writing and reading, whereas the control group did not, while they were practicing paragraph writing and reading. At the end, the two groups were tested in reading comprehension and writing, based on a posttest. Two raters scored the writing samples collected from two groups in the pre and posttest. Pearson correlation was used to compute the inter-rater reliability. The results showed the experimental group outperformed the control group in paragraph writing and reading comprehension. However, it was found that gender did not make a significant difference in reading comprehension and writing performance.

scholarly journals The Impact of Smartboard on Preparatory Year EFL Learners’ Motivation at a Saudi University

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 172
Author(s):  
Waqar Ahmad ◽  
Zuraina Ali ◽  
Muhammad Aslam Sipra ◽  
Imtiaz Hassan Taj
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Saudi Students ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Literature Reviews ◽  
Preparatory Year ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Experimental Group

Smartboards, which are now widely used in the teaching and learning process in Saudi Arabia, have turned the traditional environments of the classrooms, especially the EFL classrooms to be more interesting and encouraging. Literature reviews suggest that Saudi students usually lack motivation for studying English as a foreign language. This study tends to investigate the impact of Smartboards on preparatory year EFL learners motivation at a Saudi university. Two intact groups were selected, in which one was termed as experimental and the second as control group. The experimental group was taught using the Smartboard while the control group was taught with the traditional whiteboard, pen and book method. The treatment was given for seven weeks. A questionnaire was administered to both the groups at the beginning and the end of the study. The data was analysed using the SPSS and the results showed that there was significant difference between the experimental and control groups in terms of motivation.  

scholarly journals The Impact of Text Messaging on Iranian University Students as an English as a Foreign Language Instructional Tool to Enhance Learner Autonomy and Perception

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (11) ◽  
pp. 184-202
Author(s):  
Behnam Behforouz ◽  
Anca Daniela Frumuselu
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Text Messaging ◽  
Learner Autonomy ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Instructional Tool ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Experimental Group

This paper investigates the efficiency of text messaging as an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instructional tool to enhance learner autonomy and perception at the Islamic Azad University-South Tehran Branch, Iran. The study considers seventy-four learners to participate in the study after the administration of an Oxford Placement Test to measure their proficiency level. Participants are randomly assigned in experimental and control groups, including 37 participants each. A questionnaire is used as a pretest and posttest to measure learners` autonomy. Participants from the experimental group use text messaging (the treatment) to receive instructions, whereas those from the control group receive traditional classroom instructions in a face-to-face channel. A semi-structured interview is also used to collect date on experimental group participants` perception in using MALL in classrooms. The results reveal remarkable differences between the experimental and control groups’ means on their learner autonomy scores. However, the impact of the independent samples t-test has shown that there is no statistically meaningful gender difference among the learners regarding their autonomy scores. The findings based on the semi-structured interview showed complimentary views on MALL. The current study is beneficial since its outcomes could be relevant for EFL curriculum developers and English language teachers in the use of mobile learning and text messaging in the English classroom.

scholarly journals THE EFFECT OF TEAM PRODUCT TO IMPROVE STUDENTS’ CREATIVITY IN WRITING AT SMPN 1 JONGGAT

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 40
Author(s):  
Zukhairatunniswah Prayati
Keyword(s):  
Control Group ◽  
Product Method ◽  
8Th Grade ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Inferential Analysis ◽  
And Control ◽  
Academic Year ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Experimental Group

This study investigated the effect of team product to improve students’ creativity in writing at the 8th-grade students of SMPN 1 Jonggat, Central Lombok in the academic year 2018/2019. The research was designed as quasi experiment research. The students were divided into the experimental group and control group. The experimental group was treated using the team product method while the control group was subjected to a conventional method. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential analysis. The data in this research was taken from the mean scores of students’ achievement and the score percentages. The subject of this research was the 8th-grade students of SMPN 1 Jonggat, which consisted of 54 students. The instruments of this research were tests and questionnaires. The mean score of students’ creativity in the experimental group was 75 and the writing skill was 76. It was higher than the students in the control group. It can be concluded that the team product had a positive effect on students’ writing skills in relation to creativity at SMPN 1 Jonggat.

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