scholarly journals A Corpus-based Study on the use of Phrasal Verbs in Malaysian Secondary School Textbooks

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 76
Author(s):  
Ainul Azmin Md Zamin ◽  
Mahmoud Elfeky ◽  
Rafidah Kamarudin ◽  
Faizah Abd Majid
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Instruction ◽  
Phrasal Verbs ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
English Language Instruction ◽  
Linguistic Approach ◽  
Upper Secondary Schools ◽  
Selection Of

Phrasal verbs (PVs) are one of the most notoriously puzzling aspects of English language instruction. Despite their difficulty and idiosyncrasies, they are of high relevance for ESL/EFL learners because mastery of PVs is often equated with language proficiency. Different from prior researches, this content analysis study seeks to identify the PVs used in the Malaysian upper secondary school textbooks and the frequency count of each PV in each textbook using a corpus linguistic approach. The most frequently PVs in each textbook were compared to the list provided by Biber et al (1999)’s Longman Grammar of Spoken and Written English corpus. Findings from this study revealed that the selection and presentation of these combinations in the secondary school textbooks used in Malaysia depended more on authors’ intuition rather than on empirical findings and pedagogical principles. There were no clear explanations of Phrasal Verbs in both textbooks that were analysed. Despite the large number of PVs in the corpus, their presentation in the textbooks was far from satisfactory with some being over-repeated at the expense of some others. This paper makes a few suggestions to further improve the present treatment of PVs in the textbooks used at upper secondary schools in Malaysia. It is suggested that accurate definitions and appropriate selection and presentation of PVs should be considered. Rather than relying on intuition, Malaysian textbook writers must consider integrating the use of corpus into their selection of PVs to be presented to students.

scholarly journals Secondary school students’ attitudes to phrasal verbs

2020 ◽  
pp. 73-94
Author(s):  
Dorota Góreczna
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
English Learners ◽  
Secondary School Students ◽  
English Language ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
School Students ◽  
Phrasal Verbs ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
Students Attitudes ◽  
Upper Secondary Schools

Phrasal verbs are an essential, though difficult to teach and learn, part of the English language. Although phrasal verbs are commonly used by native speakers, for English learners they pose a considerable challenge as far as their acquisition and use are concerned. The aim of this study is to examine students’ attitude towards phrasal verbs taught at the B2 level in upper-secondary schools, and to analyse the significance of these multi-word verbs. The paper presents an excerpt of a survey conducted among secondary school students, which examined their understanding of phrasal verbs and analysed students’ opinions about the importance of acquiring these demanding multi-word verbs.

scholarly journals THE FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENTS’ CHOICE IN STUDYING ENGLISH AT PRIVATE TUTORING SCHOOLS: A CASE OF THAI UPPER-SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Chan ◽  
Preechaya Mongkolhutthi
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Secondary School Students ◽  
English Language ◽  
Private Tutoring ◽  
Upper Secondary School ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
School Students ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
Mainstream School

This study explores the factors leading Thai upper-secondary school students to study English at tutoring school. The students’ perceptions of their EFL private tutors and mainstream school teachers are also a focus of this research. Drawing on statistical data from 80 upper-secondary school students, it shows that these students perceive EFL private tutors to be more effective in the provision of examination support, particularly regarding the university admission examination, compared with mainstream school teachers. Overall, these students have more positive attitudes towards their English tutors than their mainstream school teachers. They agree that tutors have higher English language proficiency and can make them understand the lesson better than their school teachers. The characteristic of the tutors and teaching techniques is considered a significant factor leading students to study English at tutoring schools, particularly the teaching techniques that allow them to do better on university examinations. These findings not only highlight the impact of private tutoring schools on language education systems, but also caution Thai educational policy makers and practitioners to further explore the pressure of the university admission examination on upper-secondary school students in the country.Keywords: Examination support, English language proficiency, private tutoring schools, teaching technique, Thailand.Cite as: Chan, C. & Mongkolhutthi, P. (2017). The factors affecting students’ choice in studying English at private tutoring schools: A case of Thai upper-secondary school students. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 2(2), 44-52.

Error Analysis on the Malaysian Students’ Writing for ESL Classroom

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 55-65
Author(s):  
Wan Khairunnisa’ Wan Ibrahim ◽  
Zarina Othman
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Error Analysis ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
Core Subjects ◽  
Written Test ◽  
Malaysian Students ◽  
Correct Structure ◽  
Selection Of

English has been regarded as one of the core subjects in the Malaysian Certificate of Education or known as the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM). There has been a concern over the writing components in English language papers at the SPM level. Writing requires students’ competence in syntax, coherence, developing and arranging ideas, mechanics in writing and appropriate use of vocabulary. A concern over students who produce very limited number of words in their essays has resulted in the lack of content to be assessed which then led to low scores. This paper presents an error analysis focusing on the types of errors found in students’ written test scripts to identify the weaknesses of students' writing abilities. The study adopts a qualitative approach where the students’ written assessment texts were collected. A total of 18 upper secondary Year Four students (aged 16 years old) were selected as the research participants.  The selection of participants was carried out in a secondary school in one of the states in Malaysia. The students’ written tests were analysed to identify the emerging categories of language use, focusing on language and grammar inaccuracies. It is found that students have the idea on how to write the answers to the task but seem to have difficulties putting the ideas in the correct structure.

scholarly journals Feedback practices in language classes in Finnish general upper secondary schools

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-123
Author(s):  
Toni Mäkipää
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Substantial Effect ◽  
School Students ◽  
Proficiency Levels ◽  
English Classes ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
Language Classes ◽  
Upper Secondary Schools ◽  
Different Levels

As feedback and formative assessment have a substantial effect on learning, the aim with this paper is to report on a study of the perceptions of Finnish general upper secondary school students of feedback in Swedish and English classes, and to compare how the perceptions differ at language proficiency (CEFR) levels. The data were collected by using a survey and were analysed quantitatively. The results show that several differences occur in Swedish: students with higher proficiency levels find feedback more useful, feel that they receive feedback from teachers, and are more willing to correct their own mistakes. There were no differences in perceptions according to language proficiency levels in English. The results indicate that Swedish teachers should pay more attention to their feedback practices to make sure that they cater for students with different levels of proficiency.

Students of Vietnamese Heritage

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 15-30
Author(s):  
Anh-Dao Tran ◽  
Hanna Ragnarsdottir
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Multicultural Education ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Equal Opportunity ◽  
Immigrant Students ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Early School ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
Positive Feelings ◽  
Upper Secondary Schools

Studies of immigrant students in upper secondary school in Iceland often highlight low attendance rates and early school departure. This article interrogates this view through an exploration of the perspectives of 13 students of Vietnamese heritage in two upper secondary schools. The article mobilizes multicultural education which sees education as inclusive, insisting on valuing diversity and equal opportunity regardless of gender, religion, belief, ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, disability, or other statuses. Analysis of interviews shows that students, despite their positive feelings towards their teachers and their belief that their teachers were trying to do their best, understood that they were perceived to be deficient due to their lack of Icelandic language proficiency. Teachers' perceptions were thus limited, and they overlooked the students' academic and heritage resources that could have provided advantages in the learning process and contributed to student motivation and attainment.

A case for decolonizing English language instruction

ELT Journal ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul J Meighan
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Language Instruction ◽  
Letters To The Editor ◽  
English Language Instruction ◽  
Current Concern

Abstract Comment is a feature that allows contributors to express a personal, and sometimes controversial, view about a matter of current concern in the profession outside the format of a reviewed academic article. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the Editor or the Publisher. Reaction to Comment features, in the form of letters to the Editor, are especially welcome.

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