The Impact of Inquiry-based Learning approach on Critical Thinking Skill of EFL Students

To modify the way how the students are getting ready to encounter the needs of the new era, some other different teaching approaches are under research. Inquiry-based learning is such a method supposed to empower the skills students need to master. The hypothesis was that inquiry-based learning can have impact on critical thinking ability of students. The data was from language learners at Guyesh language institute placed in Alborz(Iran). To homogenize the participants, they had a language proficiency test (PET) as pre-test. Out of 62 students, 38 students were selected. The learners were put into one experimental and one control group based on their exam results. The researchers used independent sample T–Test to measure the statistical differences between the two groups. Before receiving instruction the students completed a critical thinking questionnaire. After sessions of inquiry-based instruction, the researchers gave the post-tests to both experimental and control groups. Finally, the results of the analysis of the data ensured that doing inquiry-based activities increased critical thinking ability of the subjects. The outcome of this study confirmed that participation in inquiry-based learning class had a significant impact on learners’ critical thinking skill.

Vietnamese EFL High School Teachers’ Self-assessment of their English Language Proficiency in Relation to the Official Assessment Test Results

The current study explored how Vietnamese EFL high school teachers self-assessed their current English proficiency. It also compared teachers’ self-ratings with the results they obtained in the Project 2010 test, which was used to assess English level of EFL teachers across Vietnam as part of the implementation of the National Foreign Language Project 2020. The data were drawn from 15-item online questionnaire with 94 teacher participants. The findings revealed that teachers perceived themselves as being more proficient in skills of writing and reading, compared to listening, spoken production (e.g., making presentations) and spoken interaction (e.g., making conversations). Most of them rated their current English proficiency level lower than the level they achieved in the Project 2020 test. The findings offer information about the language aspects that teachers were least proficient, which can be used to specify what support they actually desire from in-service training courses. Also, as teachers are at the centre of the Project 2020, their perceptions of their own English proficiency provide insightful input to enhance the effectiveness of this educational reform.

The Effectiveness of a Blended Strategy based on Concept Mapping and Text Structure in Enhancing EFL Learners’ Writing Performance

The current study investigated the effect of a blended strategy based on concept mapping and text structure on EFL learners’ writing performance. An intact group (N = 42) of seventh level English majors at Thadiq Sciences and Humanities College, Shaqra University, KSA participated in the study in the first semester of the academic year 2016-2017. They were assigned to an experimental group and a control group, each consisting of 21 students. A writing pretest was administered to the two groups and scored by two raters using the Weir’s TEEP attribute writing scale (1990). An independent samples t-test performed on the pretest mean scores of the two groups showed that they were homogenous prior to the experiment. Concept mapping and text formatting (the proposed blended strategy) were integrated in the Advanced Writing course (Eng 413) for experimental group students. The control group received conventional instruction that did not include the proposed strategy. Independent and paired samples t-tests revealed that the experimental group outperformed the control group in all the sub-scales of Weir’s TEEP attribute writing scale, hence supporting the positive effect of concept mapping and text formatting on EFL learners’ writing performance. Pedagogical implications are offered.

Investigating the Influence of Teaching Experience on the Use of ICT in Education

The majority of today’s jobs require sufficient understanding of the new technologies and appropriate computer skills. Therefore, professors need to be qualified to integrate computers in their classroom practices. Actually, teachers are recommended to develop adequate and effective training so as to be able to make successful use of computer technologies in their classrooms. With the advent of the new technologies, learning has become more exciting for learners regardless of their level of education. A lot of studies have revealed that the implementation of ICT in classrooms have come up with many fruitful consequences for both teachers and learners as well. It has increased their willingness to develop their knowledge through these modern tools. Therefore, universities and other educational institutions have realized the value of including computer technologies in instructional processes. This paper aims to explore the impact of teaching experience on the integration of computer technologies in teaching practices. Descriptive analysis of means, and standard deviations were employed to analyse the collected data. Also, inferential statistics, especially the ANOVA test, were used to determine the impact of teaching experience on ICT use for pedagogical objectives. The findings revealed that there are statistically significant differences between professors’ integration of ICT in education based on teaching experience, F(4,158)=20.279,p<0.05.

An Investigation into Language Identity of Iranian EFL Teachers

This study presents a survey of Iranian English teachers and their language identity. The participants who completed the survey in this research included 60 English language teachers who belonged to different genders, age groups and English language teaching experiences. To investigate and collect the data, we used a validated questionnaire which included 19 items and was administered online and by hand. The results of the analyses showed that firstly participants possessed a moderate degree of language identity. The results also exhibited that there were no significant differences between the male and female participants regarding their language identity. However, there was a significant relationship between age and language identity. On the other hand, it was found that there were no differences between teaching experiences and language identity. Finally, we can come to conclusion that the results of this survey were very informative about how Iranian language teachers think of Persian language in comparison to English.

Towards a Reflective Textbook Evaluation Model

This paper investigates ways in which textbook evaluation can help in implementing a positive change in EFL teachers’ professional careers. It draws the attention of Moroccan high school English language practitioners to the viability of using textbook evaluation as a reflective practice to enhance teachers’ professional development. It argues that a systematic textbook evaluation allows teachers to develop professionally while reflecting on the content of the textbooks they are using. This process can be formative within the formal guided context of in-service teacher training programs where voluntary teachers regularly meet in teacher learning communities (TLCs)devoted to textbook evaluation. The objective of such collective reflective activity is to encourage teachers’ lifelong learning as they will learn from each other’s experiences and improve their teaching practices. Eventually, they will agree on effective reflective practices which promote teachers’ professional development. The findings recorded by TLCs could be used in improving the quality of future textbooks. A survey was designed to explore the attitudes of Moroccan high school English language teachers towards the suggested model of textbook evaluation and its ability to promote teachers’ professional development. The findings demonstrated that the teachers are in favor of the suggested textbook evaluation model as they believe that it has the potential of gearing not only their professional development, but also the quality of current and future ELT textbooks.

The New Innovative Technologies and EFL Classes

Information and communication technology can be considered as a powerful tool which provides us with new views on education. Being aware of the benefits of technology in teaching will surly assist teachers, administers and parents cultivate a positive attitude toward ICT.In this research the questionnaire is used as data collection instrument. The questionnaire addresses only university English language teachers. Forty six university English language teachers are chosen from two universities: Moulay Ismail University Faculty of Arts and Humanities – Meknes and Sidi Mohamed Ben AbdellahDahr – El Mahraz – Fes as a case study. So as to analyze the data from the questionnaire, the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 19 is employed. The research findings reveal that Moroccan university English language teachers regard Information and Communication Technology as very essential in their teaching

Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Traditional versus Technology-based Instruction on Reading Comprehension of EFL Students

Reading is an essential skill for language acquisition, especially for learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Reading comprehension is essential for academic success, thus teachers and researchers are consistently testing new strategies and resources to assist EFL students. Given the growing technological infrastructure many schools are forgoing traditional strategies for digital reading resources. Thus, the purpose of this meta-analysis investigates the effects of using strategy instruction versus technology-based instruction on the reading comprehension of EFL learners. A Meta-analysis of 17 studies (20 effect sizes) published between the years 2007 and 2016 was conducted. A three level inclusion and exclusion process was used to select studies based on the a priori criteria. The overall combined effect size for traditional strategies and technology-based strategies was (d=1.176), which is considered a large effect size. The findings of the moderator analysis suggest that the use of traditional reading strategy instruction or technology-based reading instruction is equally effective for supporting the reading comprehension of EFL students. Recommendations for enhanced teaching and learning are provided to support EFL student reading comprehension.

Pre-service Teacher Training Programs in the Philippines: The Student-teachers Practicum Teaching Experience

Pre-service teacher training is one of the most important aspects of every teacher’s education curriculum as it prepares student-teachers to become qualified teachers in the future. This paper explored the pre-service teacher training programs in the Philippines through the practicum experience of the 21 junior and senior BSEd and BA English student-teachers from a private university in Mindanao, Philippines. Data were taken from classroom observations, group interview, and modified questionnaire. The findings revealed that there was a different standard policy of pre-service teacher training programs for BSEd and BA English. While BSEd-English concentrated on developing professional teachers for secondary schools, BA-English focused on developing not just teachers but professionals with exceptional communication skills. The student-teachers also reported some challenges in practicum teaching; classroom management, teaching confidence, and lack of teaching resources. Some solutions to overcome the challenges were suggested.

The Impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on Teaching English to College Students

Teaching in general and language teaching in particular has enormously changed through time. Language teaching, throughout the twentieth century, experienced massive changes and innovations to become more dynamic, active, and interactive. Language teaching in the twentieth century has witnessed diverse theories and trends which shaped language teaching based on needs, context, practicality, and availability of resources. Meanwhile, there has been the addition of information and communication technology (ICT) to the theories and methodologies mentioned. The Internet, in particular, is becoming an increasingly vital tool in our information society. In this research, which is a quasi-experimental study, we studied the effects of ICT on a sample of 55 EFL college students. The findings show that ICT enhances language learning experience and can act as an effective tool both for teaching and learning. The author hopes the current study makes its way into the education system both in high schools and universities and can persuade the teachers to integrate ICT and teaching.