Anie Attan | Universiti Teknologi Malaysia - UTM (original) (raw)

Papers by Anie Attan

A persistent issue in peer revision is whether peer reviewers have sufficient knowledge to critiq... more A persistent issue in peer revision is whether peer reviewers have sufficient knowledge to critique the works of peer writers. Supporters of social constructivism believe that learners learn best in collaboration. In the ESL context, student writers, who build meaning based on their cultural experience, often need the assistance of peer reviewers for the correct expressions in the target language. This study examined the nurturing strategies employed by Malay ESL peer reviewers towards improving peer writers' writing skill. Comments on peer writing were collected from ten high school peer reviewers for equal number of peer writers through reviewer feedback forms, peer conferencing sessions and writers' multiple drafts. Findings of the study show that peer reviewers nurtured strategic writing skills in both areas of content and language. The strategies used included alteration and reordering, clarification and suggestion, and praise and criticism. Implications for teaching-learning may be drawn from this study.

Does members’ language ability affect one’s performance in a group oral test of English communic... more Does members’ language ability affect one’s performance in a group oral test of English communication skills? This paper addresses that issue in reference to two research questions, (1) how do candidates perform when placed in groups according to language ability? And (2) what are the differences in the oral interactions of the candidates in the different groups? Three groups of four, first semester diploma students of varying levels of language ability were tested. The instruments were a Group Discussion Test and a common rating scale. The group discussions were recorded, transcribed and analysed. Results show that candidates grouped with those of same language ability performed better than those who were placed in a mixed language ability group. Additionally, candidates in the mixed ability group did not exhibit more turn takings nor show better ability to express opinion. Implications for setting strategies for teaching-learning may be drawn from the study.
Key words: Group interactions, L2 candidates, turn-taking, equality, mutuality, shared goals

The purpose of this within-group experimental study was to compare the effectiveness of treatment... more The purpose of this within-group experimental study was to compare the effectiveness of treatment on vocabulary acquisition and retention using two explicit vocabulary learning strategies (VLS) of Rote-Copying (RC) and Read-Plus (RP). Thirty five Form 1 Malaysian secondary school learners with poor English proficiency participated in both treatments for two weeks with each treatment carried out once in each week. A post-test was administered a week after the treatments. Participants read adapted texts and underwent different treatments. The RC required participants to copy L2 words, sentence in context and their translated L1 equivalent twice; while three vocabulary enhancement activities were used in RP. Nation's 1000 Level Vocabulary Test was used in this study. Results indicate that there was no significant difference between RC and RP in vocabulary learning. Both treatments led to significant vocabulary learning, however, participants showed better vocabulary gain in the post-test after undergoing the RP treatment. Interview findings indicate that participants preferred the more cognitively-challenging RP treatment. In contrast, the RC was deemed boring and ineffective. Nevertheless, RC was useful for low proficient ESL learners. In sum, intentional VLS seemed to be the key to vocabulary learning.

Jurnal Teknologi Vol 65, No 2, p 1-6, Dec 12, 2013

There is much interest about how ESL vocabulary should be taught to learners, particularly at the... more There is much interest about how ESL vocabulary should be taught to learners, particularly at the elementary level in an attempt to give learners a good foundation of the target language and to enable them to deal with spoken and written texts with confidence. In this paper we discuss the issues surrounding vocabulary learning and teaching, namely, context, number of repetitions, type of words chosen, number of words chosen and level of processing. We then build upon that discussion to provide a literature review of the strategies adopted for the teaching of ESL vocabulary and which have been found to produce favourable results in the contexts they were applied. Implicit learning and explicit teaching notions are examined and incidental and intentional vocabulary learning strategies are explored as probable options that could be supported to suit individual needs.

Procedia Behavioural and Social Sciences, Vol 70, p. 1501-1512

A large number of studies have established that learning to write in the second language and in p... more A large number of studies have established that learning to write in the second language and in particular, learning to write in the second language academic context require the development of advanced foundation. Without such foundation, writers simply do not have the range of lexical and grammar skills required in academic writing (case of writing in the civil engineering lab reports, students are required to show their critical evaluation of a particular concept being discussed by providing relevant discussions and justifications from the experiments conducted with findings of literature and results obtained by others. Therefore, students not only have to be equipped with sound technical knowledge but also the linguistic knowledge to enable them to successfully realise such demands. Since civil engineering students are constantly expected to communicate with people from various fields both in oral and written forms by various means of communication, it is essential that students be explicitly taught on the linguistic features that are expected in the lab report writing. Seven good samples of civil engineering studen gathered and analysed from two fields of the civil engineering (soil and geotechnical lab and structure lab) in an attempt to investigate the prominent linguistic features of the civil engineering lab reports. Additionally, interviews with the experienced content lecturers were conducted to obtain better insights on their views on the nature and the writing process of civil engineering lab reports. Findings of the study will be useful in an attempt to gain a better understanding of the discursive practices of the civil engineering community to allow opportunities for effective teaching strategies for academic and professional purposes. Implications drawn could provide students, teachers and the discourse community with essential and relevant information for more effective and better use of the language in the discipline.

Procedia Behavioural and Social Sciences, Vol 66, p. 76-85

This paper explores our attempt to determine the construct of workplace written communication thr... more This paper explores our attempt to determine the construct of workplace written communication through a study involving graduating students and workplace professionals. Information regarding written tasks, minimum standards and quality expected from new graduate employees were gathered through interviews of human resource personnel from various fields. Based on the information gathered, a test of written communication was designed and administered to a group of sixty graduating students. The end products were collected, from which five were selected, believed to be representative of the product of t resource personnel for assessment. Results were analysed to establish the different categories of criteria applied by the professionals in their assessment. From the analysis, the construct of workplace written communication was devised and subjected to validation.

Procedia Behavioural and Social Sciences Vol 70, p.969-978, 2013

This paper reports on our study to determine the expectations of employers in respect of communic... more This paper reports on our study to determine the expectations of employers in respect of communication. Our study is guided by two research questions: (i) what criteria do employers adopt in evaluating written assignments and (ii) what is the minimum level expected for acceptance of completed tasks in the workplace?

eprints.utm.my

... Abdul Razak, Noor Zainab and Ibrahim, Noor Mala and Mohd. Omar, Abidah and Attan, Anie and Ab... more ... Abdul Razak, Noor Zainab and Ibrahim, Noor Mala and Mohd. Omar, Abidah and Attan, Anie and Abdullah, Khairi Izwan and Awang, Zubaidah The Communicative Performance of UTM Graduates: Employers' and Employees' Expectations and Assessment. Project Report. ...

Procedia-Social and …, 2013

Procedia-Social and …, 2012

Jurnal Teknologi, 2012

Writing documents for the workplace differs from that for an academic setting. Although much has ... more Writing documents for the workplace differs from that for an academic setting. Although much has been researched about meeting the needs of employers and employees; there is, yet, adequate research and thick descriptions to inform readers about how participants in the workplace negotiate meaning and how texts play a role in that respect. It has been argued that apart from knowledge of audience, purpose and mechanics of writing, the writer in the workplace should also be aware of the work culture of the organization he is in. Shared values, beliefs, expectations, norms and language are believed to have an influence in the shaping of texts. Each organization, it is said, to has its own specific set of goals and cultures; and texts are said to have had a role in the fulfillment of those goals. This attempt is part of a larger study, grounded in ethnography, aimed at examining texts and the role they play in realising the shared goals. The case in study was a Japanese multinational plant involved in car audio assembly. The objective was to gain insights into how texts are being shaped to meet the specific functions they were called on to serve; as well as how they shape the community's behaviour. The texts were being analysed for content, type and form. Results indicate the meeting of quality standards, and effective and efficient execution of tasks through the writer's deep awareness of the interplay of participant, shared purpose, shared beliefs, shared expectations and limitations in the environment.

Unpublished PhD Thesis Submitted to the University of …, 1998