L2 learning online: Self-directed learning and gender influence in Indonesian university students

The present study was conducted to investigate Indonesian second language (L2) learners’ Self-Directed Learning (SDL) in English during the online classes due to the Covid-19 pandemic and to investigate whether there was a significant difference in SDL between female and male learners. As online learning is implemented nationwide in Indonesia due to the pandemic, it becomes paramount to investigate learners’ SDL, considered very critical in online learning settings where teachers' ability to check learners' progress is not as extensive as it is in the face-to-face mode of instruction. The participants of the study were 187 undergraduate students taking English for Academic Purposes (EAP) classes. Through the data obtained from the online questionnaire, the study found that learners, in general, reported a high level of SDL even though many of them still embraced procrastination behaviours and considered the pragmatic need to pass the EAP class more important than the actual L2 learning. It also found that there was no significant difference between female learners’ SDL and that of male learners. Based on the findings and analysis of the possible factors, possible contributions of the study are presented along with the possible limitations and suggested directions for future research in the field. HIGHLIGHTS: Learners, in general, reported a high level of SDL. Despite that, many of them still embraced procrastination behaviours and considered the pragmatic need to pass the English for Academic Purposes class more important than the actual L2 learning.

Autonomous learning features: A case study in an Indonesian ESP classroom

This article explores autonomous learning features and effective strategies for meeting the needs of the autonomous learner. A 4-month ethnographic study examined the learning features of three non-English major undergraduates enrolled in an English for Specific Purposes (ESP) course at an Indonesian university. The study also explored the students’ and teacher’s understanding of how the ESP classroom can benefit the autonomous learner. Data gathered through interviews, focus group discussions, and classroom observation indicate four key autonomous learning features: 1) a willingness to accept responsibility; 2) dedicated planning; 3) implementing effective strategies; and 4) monitoring progress. The findings also indicate that a variety of scaffolded and authentic learning materials combined with a flexible and creative teaching approach enhance autonomous learning. We also address how our results are applicable to most educational situations as autonomous learning is not limited to the language classroom. HIGHLIGHTS: The three subjects indicated different processes of autonomy such as monitoring learning progress using a specific task, holistic approach, and regular reflection strategies. Adopting and promoting a spirit of independent learning provides ESP learners with a supportive framework to develop and practice autonomous learning habits The ESP learners not only required to learn general English but also to learn specific English (their content knowledge in English) as their major. This is the novelty of the study. Therefore, this study provides specific add to the theory of autonomous learning.

Dysfunctional american dream reflected in arthur miller’s death of a salesman

The research aims to find the dysfunctional American Dreams; the causes of dysfunctional American Dreams and the effects of dysfunctional American Dreams experienced by the main character, Willy Lowman, as a representation of American society.This paper is examined by applying descriptive qualitative research paradigm which is naturally interpretative. Thus, the key instrument is the researcher herself who has the authority in managing and analyzing the data, and certainly producing meaning in the process of discussion and interpretations. Moreover, to facilitate her in collecting and identifying the data, she used supporting instrument in the form of table. This study, theoretically, applied the mimetic theory as the research approach.The researcher found that Arthur Miller uses the character of Willy Loman to represent the failure of the American Dream. Willy’s quest for the American Dream leads to his failure because throughout his life he pursues the illusion of the American Dream and not the reality of it. The unachievable part of Willy’s view of the American Dream is perfection. He has subordinated by the capitalism in which Willy belongs to the proletariat where his dream is a utopia. HIGHLIGHTS: The character of Willy Lowman represented the failure of American Dream because throughout his life he pursues the illusion of American Dream. Some misperceptions of American Dream have made Willy living in utopia and committing a suicide. The study represented that not all Americans or immigrants have the same perception of the American Dreams and not all of them can reach the dreams

Internal continuatives and logical metaphors: A development of classifying conjunctive relation

This research attempts to develop Martin’s & Rose’s concept of conjunctive relation (CR) analysis, in which the external and internal roles of conjunction do not include the other two types of conjunctive relation markers such as continuative and logical metaphor. Relying on more than twenty international journal articles, the research findings exhibit that certain types of continuative and logical metaphor can not only operate externally to connect events and qualities but they can also function internally to organize evidences and arguments in texts. As a result, not only a new role of internal continuative and logical metaphor can be confirmed, but the findings will also introduce an elaborated development of classifying CR in general. The emergence of the internal role of continuative and logical metaphor leads to a more elaborate way of connecting and grouping clauses into different units of discourse. In this way, they will also be able to demonstrate how texts can be built up through clauses, phases, and stages in a particular genre, without the need to be interpreted in conjunctions. HIGHLIGHTS: This article attempt to find a new way of classifying internal and external conjunctive relation that is comprised of conjunction, continuative and metaphor. Martin (2007) argues that only conjunction that perform external and inter. This article exhibits that actually external and internal roles can also be performed by continuative and metaphor

Online assessment strategies to enhance students’ competence and their implementational challenges

Education is a key to a successful life for all human beings. Having a good education certainly helps people to have a better life and improve their living standard. Therefore, education should be continually conducted meaningfully to enhance students’ competence. However, carrying out effective learning and appropriate classroom assessment during the coronavirus pandemic could be highly challenging for the teachers to do. Teachers need to utilize various technological devices to assess students' learning competence. This is due to online learning has become a priority in learning activities in the pandemic situation. Consequently, teachers must have broader horizons on how to conduct the learning processes and appropriate assessment strategies and operate various communication technologies. This study found that English teachers implemented three types of online assessment strategies to improve students' learning competence during the pandemic of Covid-19 in Indonesia. Those strategies are online test administration, portfolio, and self-assessment. Several challenges were accoutered by the teachers in carrying out the classroom assessment through online systems such as slow internet network, expensive internet quota prices, limited access to computer and smartphone devices, poor ability in using digital technology, difficulty in conducting effective interaction. Feedback was occasionally provided when the learning processes were conducted through zoom meeting or google meet. The study implies that teachers should improve their communication technology ability and fulfill online assessment strategies' administrative procedures.

The students' language attitudes towards lecturers' code mixing: A SFL study

As the effort to have the insight into the existing status of a local language in Indonesia especially in the academic setting viewed as the respected discourse, this current study aims to delineate the attitudes of millennial students towards lecturer’s code mixing to Sundanese during courses. 42 responses reflecting respondents’ perspectives towards the issue were collected via qualitative questionnaire. To reveal the view of participants on the issue under the context of higher education, responses in the forms of 62 clauses were analysed by the transitivity framework of Halliday and Matthiessen. The findings of this SFL study shows that lecturer’s code mixing to Sundanese during courses were viewed by 74% of Sundanese and non-Sundanese participants in positive ways while the rest addressed it with negative attitude. The positive attitudes were respectively represented in material, mental, relational, and existential processes while the negative attitudes were constructed sequentially in relational, material and mental, verbal, and existential clauses. The main reasons in the positive attitudes as revealed by the transitivity analysis are associated with the needs to maintain and preserve local language especially Sundanese via the academic channel. HIGHLIGHTS: The processes of meaning making in positive-attitude responses are realized especially in material clauses to establish the importance of preserving local languages especially Sundanese through the academic channel. The processes of meaning making in negative-attitude responses are realized especially in relational clauses to give priority to the negative impact of using Sundanese on the academic aspect especially for non-Sundanese students.

Enacting an emergency EFL course in an Indonesian disadvantaged condition

Situated in a disadvantaged condition in Lombok, Indonesia, the present study looks at the enactment of an emergency EFL course after earthquake and aftershock circumstances in a public university in the region. For such a purpose, forty-two non-English department students who attended the course in four face-to-face and nine asynchronous meetings were recruited using a convenience sampling technique. A set of questionnaire was disseminated to document participants’ responses on the course implementation. Observation and semi-structured interviews were also conducted to portray the pedagogical praxis. The findings suggest that the course delivery did not utterly reflect an effective teaching-learning process accordingly due to various factors. Barriers to using the WhatsApp tool also existed. Interestingly, the students positively reflected the course as the best way to learn in a disadvantaged condition. However, they were not confident with their attainment in English skills and components. Further considerations on how to design materials and assessment instruments and build a decent interaction are needed in learning under such disadvantaged condition.

Implementing basal reading program in EFL upper secondary school settings

Basal readers have been selected by the school to cope with students’ lack of vocabulary size. With some positively perceived learning outcomes, the readers continued to be used from year to year and were decided as a school program, in addition to ELT national curriculum. The research is aimed at exploring the following aspects: (1) the teacher’s use of basal readers in the classrooms, (2) the classroom procedures developed by the teacher understudy, and (3) the students’ response to the implementation of the basal reading program. A descriptive case study with classroom observation as a main data collection technique was employed to explore the phenomena. The research brings several points to consider. First, basal readers have been extensively used by the school for different purposes: 1) for vocabulary enrichment, (2) for intensive reading materials, (3) as resource making classroom tests, and (4) a basis for writing phonetic symbols, and (5) for promoting speaking skills. Second, the school has developed its own strategies to use the readers with specific procedures. Third, the use of basal readers was positively responded to by the students with some suggestions for better implementation. HIGHLIGHTS: Basal reading program was implemented with a specific procedure developed by the local school English teachers. Basal readers selected for the reading program were utilized to develop reading skills in which vocabulary memorization and pronunciation drills were used to support the skills. The program was positively responded by the students with some suggestions for a better implementation.

WhatsApp in Emergency Remote Learning (The Students’ Perception)

The emergency remote learning due to COVID-19 pandemic and the government strategy to move the lesson into online mode make language learning technologies play an important role to help students achieving the goals of learning. WhatsApp application as one of learning media offers some benefits that can be utilized by the students and teachers to achieve this goal. This study aimed at knowing the midwifery and nursing students‘ perception on the use of WhatsApp as the media of English teaching and learning process in the context of Emergency Remote Learning (ERL). This paper presented data survey towards 183 students of nursing and midwifery departments at Poltekkes Kemenkes Malang. The instrument of this study was an online questionnaire designed based on the literature review and administered to the participants through class‘s WhatsApp Group. There were 25 items in the questionnaire and the content was conveyed the demographic data and students’ perception towards the use of WhatsApp application that helped them mastering four English language skills and components as well as getting scoring and feedback. The data were presented in the percentage data and analyzed using descriptive explanation. The finding showed that students’ perception on WhatsApp as learning media in English online learning in ERL context gained highly positive perception on all items. Based on this result, teachers can utilize all features on WhatsApp to design meaningful learning in the time of emergency remote teaching and learning.

Difficulties in using correct English prepositions among EFL students

The objectives of this study are to find out the reasons of this problem and find some solutions. The participants were ten students at levels seven and eight, at the Faculty of Sciences and Arts. The researcher used the Descriptive Statistical Method and collected the data via a written test as the main research tool. The data were then analyzed using a Statistical Package of Social Sciences Programme (SPSS). The results were as follows: Saudi students faced problems with using the correct prepositions after certain verbs. Students encountered difficulties in identifying the correct prepositional phrase. Students experienced the same problem with the use of English prepositions in writing tasks and in daily communication. The recommendations of this study are that students need to revise the use of English prepositions in general and need more practice in the use of prepositions after certain verbs. They also need to make a greater effort to use English prepositional phrases in their written work. Regarding writing courses, students need to focus more on the use of prepositions in general. Curriculum designers need more attention about teaching prepositions in their textbooks and curriculums. HIGHLIGHTS: Saudi students faced problems with using the correct prepositions after certain verbs. Students encountered difficulties in identifying the correct prepositional phrase. Students experienced the same problem with the use of English prepositions in writing tasks and in daily communication.