The most common errors within the written discourse of EFL beginners at Ecuadorian universities

Making errors while learning a language is nothing else than part of the learning process itself. The transfer of the mother tongue (L1) into a second language (L2) acquisition process is inevitable and mainly noticeable in the initial learning levels. The results of an Error Analysis (EA) in the written discourse become an advantage in the teaching of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) since it provides a clear image of what should be reinforced in the classroom. The aim of this study is to identify the most common errors made by EFL beginning level Ecuadorian college students in their written discourse. The researchers elaborated a linguistic corpus from writing samples provided by a group of forty-five students from three public universities in Ecuador. The EA process yields a high percentage of errors related to Word Missing; Form Spelling; Lexical Single; Lexico-Grammar, Verbs, Complementation; Style, Grammar, Verbs, Number; Grammar Articles; and, Grammar – Adjective Order. Errors in the analyzed samples mainly occur due to the interference and negative transfer resulting from the L1 (Spanish) over the L2 (English). Poor lexical and grammar knowledge are also causatives of the errors found in the study.

Using cellphone-based games in EFL instruction

The advent of technology has influenced education, even in the most remote parts of the world. Nowadays, it is totally normal for a person to have some technological devices such as laptops, iPads, tablets, and especially cell phones. Ecuador is not far from this reality. Moreover, in the English Language Learning Standards, the Ministry of Education suggests using technological resources in teaching (eg internet, software, computers and related devices). Given this warm welcome to the use of technology in Ecuador’s English classes, as well as the number of students using cell phones in Ecuador, this chapter is intended to provide basic information on the use of cell phone games within English class.

Developing vocabulary of hospitality and tourism in university students: Subtitled videos for lexicon generation

The present study was conducted in an Ecuadorian state University, with students majoring in Hospitality and Tourism. One subject that students must take in this major is English for Specific Purposes (ESP). It is well noted that students do not have frequent opportunities to listen to English in professional contexts outside of class. Most of them have a low level of English proficiency since they are only required to pass two levels of English at any language institute. Consequently, this study aims to find the perceptions of students about the use of English subtitled videos or movies to develop tourism vocabulary and to explore the benefits of using these videos in a context where there is no practice of the target language outside the classroom.

Implications of the use of podcast in the development of listening skills at a university level

A second or foreign language acquisition is a process in which learners develop and enhance different skills such as listening. However, students still struggle to comprehend L2. For instance, when a trainee works on a language proficiency, English listening material such as audios/videos and different pronunciations or sounds is difficult to analyze. Therefore, researchers have been investigating about techniques that work in classes and they found out that podcasting is increasingly being exploited by language teachers as a new popular and dynamic method to inspire learning inside and outside the traditional classroom (Stanley, 2006). This paper deals with student’s listening difficulties, podcasts’ technique and suggestions to be implemented in other settings.

Writing performance in EFL at a college level using peer editing

Today, people are learning more and more languages for different reasons. To learn a language includes the development of all the skills in order to comprehend oral and written material. English, which is a universal language, is one of those languages, and it is used in different fields to promote communication. Thus, this paper focuses on one of the most important skills, which is writing. In a setting where English is taught as a Foreign Language (EFL), it is essential to learn how to write correctly following the language standards. With this in mind, the following research is framed in a context where college students developed the writing skill through paragraphs and peer correction. Students were instructed in different writing topics and peer correction.