scholarly journals The Periphrastic Topic Structures in Chinese-English Interlanguage

Author(s):  
Chengchao Li ◽  
Lianrui Yang ◽  
Brent Wolter

Periphrastic topic structures, as Chinese-style topic structures, belong to the category of prepositional topic fronting constructions in TSVO sequences. Findings from studies on periphrastic topic structures are inconsistent and present only a fragmented understanding. Therefore, the present study is conducted to make up for the gap and aims to reveal the developmental features of periphrastic topic structures (henceforth PTS) through investigating the production and the recognition of PTSs in Chinese college English learners’ Chinese-English interlanguage. The result suggests that with advances in learners’ English proficiency levels, periphrastic topic structures diminish from the preliminary stage to the intermediate stage gradually, but present a much higher degree of fossilization at the advanced level. Theoretically, this finding may further support Yang’s findings(2008) and validate the Selective Fossilization Hypothesis model (SFH model) proposed by Han (2009).

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 600
Author(s):  
Tan Lihua

<p><em>Cultural integration, an important part of college English teaching, plays a key role in enhancing students’ English proficiency and overall quality. The author in this paper attempts to explore the cultivation of college English learners’ intercultural competence from the three aspects of relationship between cultural integration and college English teaching, the contents and ways of cultural integration into college English teaching. The author considers that college English learners’ intercultural competence involves both intercultural communicative competence and overall quality including virtues, critical thinking and extensive knowledge. </em></p>


2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui-Hua Chiang

<p>This article presents a preliminary investigation of the inter-relationships between English learners’ tolerance for ambiguity, their classroom work styles, and their level of English proficiency. The study population comprised 46 English as a foreign language (EFL) students attending a technical college in Taiwan. The findings indicated that a large percentage of these students had moderate to high levels of tolerance for ambiguity. In contrast to the findings of previous studies, our results showed no significant relationship between ambiguity tolerance and classroom work styles. The relationship between ambiguity tolerance and English proficiency in terms of the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) scores was almost statistically significant. However, tolerance for ambiguity and classroom work styles showed a statistically significant association with English proficiency. Recommended extensions of the study are discussed, and general directions for future research are suggested. Teaching implementations are also proposed.<strong></strong></p>


Author(s):  
Diah Royani Meisani ◽  
Fuad Abdul Hamied ◽  
Bahrudin Musthafa ◽  
Pupung Purnawarman

This study was aimed at investigating the influencing factors on students’ English proficiency levels based on Cambridge English Tests for Children and Young Learners. A preliminary survey was undertaken to select the sample of elementary schools that offered English as a subject. As many as 157 students who sat in Grades 4, 5, and 6 from nine elementary schools participated in this study. The findings revealed that the average of students’ scores was at Starters/Movers Level, which is equal to A1 in the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). Through multiple regression analysis, three out of five investigated factors were detected to be significantly related to students’ English proficiency levels, namely gender, grade level, and school accreditation rank. While rich literature has found gender and grade level as one of the affective variables in language learning, none has studied whether school accreditation status influences young learners’ English achievement. It is recommended that schools and related stakeholders consider these factors to ensure effective English teaching to young learners. It is also suggested that future researchers conduct further study on how and under what conditions the factors can contribute to students’ English achievement.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2019 (1) ◽  
pp. 433
Author(s):  
Sachi Oshima

This study investigates the effectiveness of explicit instruction on text structure in the development of Japanese EFL college students’ English writing skills by examining two research questions: (1) How does students’ writing change after being given lessons on explicit instruction and process writing?; and (2) How do students’ perceptions of English writing change due to process writing and explicit instruction on text structure? Two groups of students were given four lessons on process writing and explicit instruction. While one group of advanced-level students wrote an argumentative essay, the other group with beginner-level students wrote a descriptive essay. The results suggest that explicit instruction on text structure can be a useful means of developing English writing skills regardless of students’ English proficiency levels. Students self-report indicated that their ability to organize ideas was highly improved, and they exhibited positive changes in writing in terms of organization and awareness of readers. 本研究では、EFL環境下にある日本人大学生を対象に、文章構成(text structure)の明示的指導がライティングにどのような効果を有するかを、次の2点について考察し、検証した。(1)プロセスライティングと文章構成の明示的指導により、学習者の英語ライティングはどのように変化するか。(2)プロセスライティングと文章構成の明示的指導により、学習者の英語ライティングに対する認識はどのように変化するか。2グループの学生に対しプロセスライティングと文章構成に関する明示的な指導を4レッスンずつ行った。英語上級者のグループにはargumentative essay(議論型エッセイ)を、初級者のグループにはdescriptive essay(記述型エッセイ)を書かせた。結果、文章構成の明示的指導は、学習者の英語運用能力に関わらず、英語ライティングの向上に効果的であることが分かった。学習者は文章構成力が最も上がったと回答しており、ドラフトにも文章構成力の向上や読み手を意識した文章への変容といった効果が表れた。


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