Teaching EFL Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

The need to address culture in the language learning process has been emphasized as a means to promote both intercultural awareness and communicative language curricula. In countries such as Turkey, this has been an ongoing concern in the context of English as a foreign language (EFL) education. Thus, attempts have been made to enhance the cultural aspect of EFL learning in Turkey with the current English language curricula for elementary and high schools. To determine whether these curricula truly address culture in ways that support intercultural awareness, the researcher conducted a content analysis of the learning outcomes and objectives for each grade level, focusing on the curricula developed in 2013 and 2014 respectively for elementary and high school, as well as the program updates introduced in 2017 and 2018. The culture-related objectives and outcomes including products, practices, perspectives and persons relating to native Englishspeaking and international cultures were identified, and the total numbers of culture-oriented outcomes and objectives were recorded and analyzed. The findings indicate that culture-related outcomes and objectives were highly limited in number; and they mainly addressed superficial aspects of culture such as names of countries/languages, foods and traditional costumes. Abstract and complex topics such as pragmatics, beliefs, and worldviews were largely ignored. Moreover, while the updated programs of 2017 and 2018 were intended to improve on the 2013 and 2014 versions, little was accomplished in this regard. As such, the findings suggest that current EFL curricula are unlikely to support the development of intercultural awareness in language learners. Some recommendations for addressing this issue are offered.

- by
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- Intercultural Communication, Teaching English as a Second Language, TESOL, Culture
- by Abdel Salam El-Koumy
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- English Literature, Teaching and Learning, Assessment, English language
- by Davey Young
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- Online Instruction, TESOL, Online Learning, Inclusive Education

The paper endeavors to investigate the conceptual metaphor awareness via a psycholinguistic experiment done by Serbian grammar school and EFL students. The analysis is carried to determine the extent to which the students are aware of the differences between metaphor identification processes in the two languages and whether, in an attempt to offer satisfactory solutions, they resort to applying the mother tongue knowledge in case of not being able to interpret foreign language metaphors. The psycholinguistic experiment conducted in this research is composed of 28 metaphorical and non-metaphorical sentences in Serbian and English taken from the available corpora. The experiment was conducted by presenting the participants with equal stimuli,, where they were supposed to determine whether there is metaphorical content present in the sentences or not. In the final section of the research the results of the two analyses are compared to reveal that the assumptions we set off with were mo...

- by Dusan Stamenkovic
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- Psychology, Psycholinguistics, Metaphor, Cognitive Linguistics

Students Teams Achievement Division (STAD) is a cooperative learning strategy in which learners work in heterogeneous groups to achieve a common goal. It has been widely used in teaching different subject areas under different settings. This study aimed at investigating the effects of STAD on motivation of Saudi EFL learners. Two intact groups of 1st semester students were selected. One group worked as the experimental group and the other one as the control group. A questionnaire was administered to both groups at the beginning of the semester. The experimental group was taught with STAD whereas the control group was taught with the traditional whole class teacher-fronted method. The treatment was administered for two weeks. The same questionnaire was re-administered after the treatment. The data was analyzed using independent samples t-test. Findings revealed that there was no significant difference (p = 0.36 > 0.05) between the experimental and the control groups in terms of mo...

- by Muhammad Ishtiaq
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- Teaching EFL, Motivation, Cooperative Learning

This presentation is based on a study conducted as part of my MA thesis requirement. The study itself is a qualitative analysis of the reading comprehension component in three EFL coursebooks currently being utilised in public and semi-public schools in Chile. Given the students’ poor performance in the SIMCE English test and the gulf between private and public schools, it is essential to determine whether the materials used in class provide effective reading comprehension practice that is in line with international standards. The literature review suggests that although several studies have been conducted in the field of reading comprehension, not enough local research has been carried out regarding materials’ assessment.
In order to provide a comprehensive outlook, the study was divided into two stages. The first part examines the reading comprehension component by sampling the Teens Club series and Global English 3 through content analysis. Authenticity, speech genres, types of tasks and reading strategy development were considered in the analysis. Rivas’ chart (1999) was applied for classifying speech genres and authenticity. The reading comprehension strategies were coded according to the CEFR Handbook (2011), the guidelines provided in the Teachers’ book of the series, and the SIMCE’s Manual del Profesor (2014). In the second stage, an online survey was conducted to a sample of 33 EFL teachers familiar with the materials to gather their perceptions regarding the reading comprehension component and also to establish common links between the teachers’ perceptions and practice and the coursebooks’ strengths and weaknesses regarding reading comprehension practice.
The study reveals that the coursebooks favour- in general- semi-authentic texts which would suggest seem rather contradictory given that both the MINEDUC guidelines and the SIMCE’s Manual del Profesor, and the Teacher’s books advise teachers to use authentic materials. It could be argued that the tendency of using semi-authentic texts can be seen as an attempt to bridge the gap between authentic and non-authentic practice. Although the speech genres are varied, the students are not exposed to all of them, in their day-to-day routine. The sampled material displays relatively similar types of tasks and although some cognitive strategies are prioritised, there is a progressive development according to the learners’ proficiency: from lower level processing in the Teens Club series to a higher level in Global English 3. On the other hand, the question whether metacognitive strategy awareness is adequately addressed is a question for further analysis as this would seem at least- at the beginning- the teacher’s role.
The online survey yielded on average a low to medium level of satisfaction towards the sampled materials. Increasing reading strategy development accounted for one of the main teachers’ concerns as well as a lack of variety of tasks. In addition, it was found that the average of minutes allocated to reading comprehension per class accounted for a majority of 10-20 minutes (16%- 33%). The Marco Curricular (2009) states that the development of receptive skills should take up 80% of classroom time, it is evident that learners do not receive sufficient instructional time for improving their reading proficiency. Effective planning and adequate time allocation for reading instruction are extremely relevant for yielding positive results in reading proficiency development. Extensive reading seems critical in helping students become effective and autonomous readers and consolidating the little practice they gain in class. In addition, extensive reading will also expose learners to the little amount they would otherwise receive through solely coursebook exposure.
The study sheds light on the topic of reading comprehension in Chile and how this is approached by the current coursebooks provided by the Ministry of Education. Given the relevance that reading comprehension has in our daily life and how relevant it is for succeeding academically and professionally, both in L1 and L2, it is essential to identify which could be the sources of students’ poor reading comprehension scores in English as a foreign language. The evidence provided in this study will enable teachers and educationalists to improve practice and/ or develop policies that will remedy the current state of affairs. Further research is necessary in order to obtain more substantial information regarding teachers and students’ perceptions, as well as analysing how other components have an impact on the reading comprehension process.

Both native and nonnative language teachers often find pronunciation a difficult skill to teach because of inadequate training or uncertainty about the effectiveness of instruction. But nonnative language teachers may also see themselves as inadequate models for pronunciation, leading to increased uncertainty about whether they should teach pronunciation (Golombek & Jordan, 2005). Although studies have regularly shown that instruction is effective in promoting pronunciation improvement (Saito, 2012), it is not known if improvement depends on the native language of the instructor, nor if learners improve differently depending on whether their teacher is native or nonnative. This study investigated the effect of teachers' first language on ratings of change in accentedness and comprehensibility. Learners in intact English classes were taught one class by a nonnative- and one by a native-English-speaking teacher. Each teacher taught the same pronunciation lessons over the course of 7 weeks. Results show that native listeners' ratings of the students' comprehensibility were similar for both teachers, despite many learners' stated preference for native teachers. The results offer encouragement to nonnative teachers in teaching pronunciation, suggesting that, like other language skills, instruction on pronunciation skills is more dependent on knowledgeable teaching practices than on native pronunciation of the teacher.

Inspired by the recent trends in education towards learner autonomy with their emphasis on the interests and desires of the students, and borrowing ideas from philosophy (particularly ethics), the present study is an attempt to investigate the discrepancy in the findings of the studies addressing error correction in L2 writing instruction, and suggest the (oft-neglected) students’ beliefs, interests and wants as what can point the way out of confusion. To this end, a questionnaire was developed and 56 advanced adult EFL learners were asked to complete the questionnaire. The opinions of 20 EFL teachers were also collected using another questionnaire. Twenty-three of the students and 13 of the teachers were then interviewed in an attempt to collect explanations for their answers in the questionnaires. The results indicated that all the learners wanted the errors in their writings to be corrected. About 90 percent of them believed that all the errors in their writings should be correct...

- by Damiano Benvegnu'
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- Second Language Acquisition, Languages and Linguistics, Pedagogy, Ecocriticism
- by John Levis
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- Intonation, Phonetics and Pronunciation, Teaching EFL, Teaching speaking

It has been a while nearly from many years ago to the present day that two standard exams of IELTS and TOEFL have applied with the purpose of evaluating the candidates pursuing their higher-education goals and/or immigrating to the English or non-English speaking countries. This research intends to compare the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) Internet-based test (iBT) with the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) regarding the format, content and grading of the test. Recently, these two exams have been played a prominent role of gatekeepers into English language institutions and society. In this research a brief history of each test will be described in the literature review and based on studied various comprehensive comparison researches as the methodology there will be a detailed explanation of IELTS and TOEFL exams in terms of format and content criteria separately. Subsequent to comparing each section of both exams in the discussion section the similarity and some differences will be mentioned there. Finally, it will be conducted that while the two tests have some similarities such as the same four sections of reading, writing, speaking, and listening, it doesn't mean that the same abilities are being measured in each exam and its section. In addition, it has been recommended that whether a test taker wants to take the IELTS and or chooses the TOEFL, he or she should decide with regard to his or her interests as well as skill assessment tests.

- by Ahmad Pourghasem and +1
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- Teaching English as a Second Language, TESOL, Teaching EFL

This study examined the teacher’s questioning interaction for meaning negotiation in an EFL classroom at a junior high school in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. Data was collected from an English teacher who was teaching seventh grade students. The instruments used were an observation sheet adapted from Arikan (2004), a set of interview questions adapted from Skilton and Meyer (1992) and Beutel (2010), and recordings. The questioning interaction was analyzed following on the three questioning devices: comprehension check, clarification check and confirmation check (Long, 1983). The findings showed that comprehension check was the most dominant device applied by the teacher (30%), followed by clarification check (14.3%), and confirmation check (12.8%). The dominant use of comprehension check in the classroom reflected the typical interaction in the EFL context, in which there was much more negotiation of meaning going on between the teacher and students to gain understanding. All of these dev...

- by Yunisrina Qismullah Yusuf
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- Psychology, Classroom Interaction, Teaching EFL, Questions

Recognizing the different kinds of learning that have been occurring in my workplace. In this paper I discuss different kinds of learning involved in the process of dealing with the move to the new school and its new work environment as well as the learning involved in teacher training seminars and the learning of an EFL teacher on the floor of his classroom.

- by Kolya Schweppe
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- Teaching EFL, English as a Foreign Language (EFL)

This is a call for papers for the volume 'International Perspectives on Teaching the Four Skills in ELT'. Potential contributors are invited to submit a proposal of 300 words or less about one of the main EFL skills (reading, listening, speaking, or writing), how it is taught in their context, and any related issues/solutions. With 'international' in the title of the volume, we aim to collect perspectives from all over the the EFL teaching and learning world.

Many adults especially business people have the need to learn English for their work. Yet, a lot of them have problems in different language skills. For example, across U.S.A, business English teachers encounter Chinese speaking students who had problems in writing proper English business messages (Beamer, 1994). Although a lot of educators have been trying creative approaches on teaching children, the adult classrooms are relatively more traditional. This paper aims at reviewing some prospective problems and sharing with the practitioners some approaches for language instruction.

Les historiens de l'éducation ont beaucoup cité et analysé le rapport Investissement dans l'éducation (1965), cependant celui de l'OCDE (1969) n'a fait l'objet d'aucune étude détaillée. Ces deux documents font partie du processus d'examen du système éducatif irlandais par les pairs de l'OCDE. À travers sa contribution, l'auteur examine le pré-rapport de 1965, Investissement dans l'éducation, le rapport de l'OCDE de 1969 ainsi que l'évolution des rôles du ministre, du ministère et des évêques devant les réformes suggérées. Il apparaît finalement qu'en dépit des résistances de la part du Ministère des Finances et de l'Église catholique, le processus d'examen par les pairs de l'OCDE a légitimé des réformes prévues par les pouvoirs publics, telles que le système de collège unique ainsi que des programmes et des examens identiques dans toutes les écoles du second degré. Cet article apporte une contribution supplémentaire à l'histoire irlandaise en s'appuyant sur des documents d'archives, sur le rapport de l'OCDE de 1969 et sur des entretiens menés par l'auteur au cours des vingt-cinq dernières années auprès d'acteurs de premier rang du système éducatif irlandais. Mots-clés : examen par les pairs de l'OCDE-OCDE-éducation irlandaise-Investissement dans l'éducation-écoles du second degré-écoles secondairesécoles techniques-Irlande

This paper argues for the incorporation of bottom-up activities for English as a foreign language (EFL) listening. It discusses theoretical concepts and pedagogic options for addressing bottom-up aural processing in the EFL classroom as well as how and why teachers may wish to include such activities in lessons. This discussion is augmented by a small-scale classroom-based research project that investigated six activities targeting learners’ bottom-up listening abilities. Learners studying at the lower-intermediate level of a compulsory EFL university course were divided into a treatment group (n = 21) and a contrast group (n = 32). Each group listened to the same audio material and completed listening activities from an assigned textbook. The treatment group also engaged in a set of six bottom-up listening activities using the same material. This quasi-experimental study used dictation and listening proficiency tests before and after the course. Between-group comparisons of t-test ...

- by Aki Siegel
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- Psychology, TESOL, Teaching EFL, Effective Listening

Handed in as a B.A. thesis, this study researches students' acceptance of storytelling as a means of teaching English as a foreign language in German secondary schools. The results clearly show that there is no correlation between age and acceptance of storytelling, and that it is rather due to teachers' doubts about their own storytelling abilities that oral storytelling is not used more widely.

- by Martin Ellrodt
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- Storytelling, Narrative Methods, Teaching EFL, Teaching Listening

Language teacher's professional successes has become a very important topic in SLA specially after the introduction of post-method era. Furthermore, L2 teacher's professional successes can be influenced by some traits of the teachers including self-efficacy and way of teaching. The present study, therefore, was an attempt to investigate whether Iranian EFL teachers' reflective teaching and their self-efficacy can predict their professional success. Twenty-eight male and female EFL teachers were asked to fill out the questionnaires of Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale and Reflective Teaching Questionnaire. Then, 168 male and female EFL learners with the age range of 18-32 from three branches of Safir language institute in Tehran were randomly selected out of the teachers' students. This initial sample included more than 400 EFL students. In the next step, the selected learners were asked to fill out the Teachers' Professional Success Survey. The data analysis using multiple regression revealed that both self-efficacy and reflective teaching could relatively predict EFL teachers' professional success. Secondly, the results revealed that there was not any significant difference between the prediction ability of the two variables aforementioned in predicting teachers' success from the point of view of their students. The findings of the present suggest that EFL teachers should enhance their self-efficacy and reflective teaching to increase their professional success.

Through employment of asynchronous voice tools, EFL speaking practice can be moved into the XXIst century with potential benefits for students. The current paper will show that opening the classroom walls to a world audience through employment of
Web 2.0 tools, higher expectations are engendered in students than in the in vitro class environment. Since students prepare with a real audience in mind, their motivation and subsequently their performance are expected to improve. This is extremely
important and crucial especially in the case of adult students who learn the language in an artificial class environment, with poor
prospects of practising it in a real environment. We will discuss the students’ opinions on advantages of employing Voxopop
(VoP) and Voice Thread (VT) in an effort to raise the EFL teachers’ awareness about the warmer teaching-learning experience asynchronous voice tools foster and the multiplicity of avenues they open.

- by Elena-Adriana Tomuletiu
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- Teaching EFL

The purpose of this investigation is to design and evaluate new assessment tools for a communicatively oriented, digitally integrated elementary EFL course. How can learners’ own needs be included, i.e. media use? What standards might be more appropriate for young learners (YL) than the CEFR? How can students’ feed-back be heard by teachers and course designers?

- by Richard J Stockton
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- Assessment, TESOL, Language Assessment, Teaching EFL

Instructors play an important role in educating the future members of society through their work in universities and quality education cannot be achieved without the supreme efforts of dedicated and committed university teachers. Hence, there is a call for more research concerning the notion of teacher commitment, its dimensions and the factors that influence it. The current study first aimed to set priority among the dimensions of EFL instructors' professional commitment through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling and then investigate the effect of EFL instructors' employment status as full time or part time on their professional commitment through two-tailed t-test. A previously validated EFL Teachers' Professional Commitment Questionnaire was employed to collect data from 420 EFL male and female university instructors. The results exhibited a significant difference between these two variables in total. One of the important implications of this research ...

Since I am not yet a teacher but have worked as one for an L2 classroom in Cusco, Peru teaching preschoolers through 2 nd. graders, I know what it takes to keep them focus and occupied in the subject matter. I have developed a couple of strategies to keep them interested. Since children need relationships with caring adults who engage in many one-on-one, face-to-face interactions with them to support their oral language development and lay the foundation for later literacy learning. I have had 10 students per class which I had done twice a week for 6 months. All the students are L1-L2 beginner level. Do to the fact that my students are beginner level preschoolers through 2 nd. grade their attention span is minimal and their English proficiency is also minimal so the class lasts about 1 ½ hours.

The role of grammar instruction is inevitably important for second and/or foreign language mastery. Unfortunately, in practice, many English teachers in foreign language contexts such as in Indonesia still teach grammar deductively; that is, learners are provided the grammar rules and examples, are told to memorize them, and then are asked to apply the rules to other examples. This particular method of teaching is believed to produce learners who cannot use the language communicatively although they have considerable knowledge of grammar rules. It has also been seen as contributing to learners’ passive participation and negative feelings towards grammar learning. The aims of this paper are to give an alternative solution to that problem by offering some ideas of game-based activities and to investigate students’ perception of the implementation of communicative game-based grammar learning. Using pre- and post-study questionnaire, the research study was conducted with 30 adult EFL le...

- by Malahayati Siahaan
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- Psychology, Game Based Learning, English Grammar, Games for Learning

This paper introduces a novel online vocabulary profiling application called the New Word Level Checker (https://nwlc.pythonanywhere.com/) and word list resources used by the application. First, the rationale for developing another web vocabulary profiler and the word lists included in the application are described. Next, the lexical units (i.e., how words are counted) and rules (e.g., case sensitivity, contractions, abbreviations with periods, hyphenated words, and compounds) employed in the application are explained. Then, the word lists adopted for the application are compared to show which lists are best used for different purposes. Pedagogical implications of the use of the application and word lists are discussed, especially focusing on matching learners with vocabulary-level appropriate tests.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the use of pictures and students learning outcome. More specifically, the study aimed to examine the effect of using pictures for foreign language learning on the... more

- by Rahman Demirkol
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- Multimedia, Teaching EFL, Multimedia and ICT In English Teaching

This paper reports the findings of a studywhich investigates performance tasks as a means of alternative assessment for young EFL learners. The study specifically looks into the match between what is proposed by the Primary English Curriculum and what is actually done in classrooms concerning the characteristics, implementation process, and evaluation of these tasks from teachers’ point of view. In addition, the opinions of teachers, in relation to whether these tasks have any contribution to language learning are also elicited. 43 young-learner English teachers working in ten schools participated in the study. Data has been collected from questionnaires, interviews, and document analysis. The findings reveal that the intended goals of performance tasks have been moderately achieved, but in certain areas have weaknesses. Overall, the study has produced some implications for practice regarding alternative assessment. © 2013 IOJES. All rights reserved

- by Rana YILDIRIM
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- Computer Science, Assessment, Language Assessment, Teaching EFL

Students who are reluctant to speak out in the classroom are commonly encountered by language teachers. As part of a teaching journal project, this paper is a self-refection based on observations of student behavior and performance during English Discussion Class (EDC) at a private Japanese university. Two classes were observed during a fourteen-week fall semester with a focus on four students who did not participate as much as their peers. Possible causes of unequal participation are discussed using a model of willingness to communicate (WTC). Instances of teacher intervention to alleviate the problem are described, and changes in student behavior and performance are noted. Several concrete measures that may be effective for encouraging equal participation are suggested. This paper concludes by suggesting future strategies for addressing the issue of students participating less than their peers.

- by Brad Barker
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- TESOL, Teaching EFL, Teaching speaking, English as a Foreign Language (EFL)

A pronunciation teaching tip from the 2015 Pronunciation in Second Language Learning and Teaching Conference.

Few will argue that Teaching English through English (TETE) is an approach that many practitioners have a definite opinion on. Some praise it as the best way to conduct ESL/EFL classes; others criticize it as being inappropriate and... more

This article presents the results of a research study based on two language teaching techniques, drilling and color-coding, and their effect on the correct pronunciation of the past tense phonemes /t/, /d/, and /ɪd/ in regular verbs in simple past tense when reading aloud; the population of this study was composed of twelve young adults. Qualitative and quantitative data from two instruments: an identification tally sheet and a questionnaire were gathered. The results obtained in the pre and post-test (identification tally sheet) and the performance of the participants from the experimental groups (B and C) showed that there was a positive impact on the accurate production of the past tense phonemes when reading aloud. Lastly, this research study provides evidence to claim the teaching of drilling and color-coding techniques are useful to pronounce the past tense phonemes /t/, /d/, and /ɪd/ in regular verbs correctly.

Mobbing is an important construct which has impact on the numerous psychological variables. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between mobbing and stress. Participants were 436 teachers (206 (55%) were female, 230 (45%) were male) from Sakarya, Turkey. Their ages ranged from 26 to 55 years and the mean age of the participants was 35.2 years. In this study, the Mobbing Scale and the Stress subscale of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale were used. The relationships between mobbing and stress were examined using correlation analysis and the hypothesis model was tested through structural equation modeling. Data were analyzed by LISREL 8.54 and SPSS 11.5. In correlation analysis, humiliation, discrimination, sexual harassment, communication barriers subdimensions of mobbing were found positively associated with stress. Hypothesized model was examined via structural equation modeling (SEM). And also accounted for 11% of the stress variance. According to path analysis results, stress was predicted positively by humiliation, discrimination, sexual harassment, and communication barriers. This research shows that mobbing has a direct impact on the stress.

- by Parvin Safari
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- Teaching EFL

Among alternative assessment options, portfolios have received considerable
attention in the field of education, but there has been little research exploring students’
perceptions of the portfolio approach or its impact on the learning of writing (Lam, 2013).
Therefore, this study aimed at investigating students’ perceptions about the effect of
portfolio assessment as a process-oriented assessment mechanism on Iranian EFL students’
English writing and its sub-skills of focus, elaboration, organization, conventions, and
vocabulary. Moreover, the study dealt with students’ perceptions about the use of portfolio
assessment in EFL writing. Thirty university students were chosen as the participants.
They received the treatment i.e. portfolio assessment in an essay writing course. Students’
views and reflections about portfolio assessment were elicited via “Portfolio contribution
questionnaire” and individual semi-structured interviews. The results showed that most of
the students perceived improvement in overall writing and the sub-skills of focus,
elaboration, and organization. Furthermore, students had a positive attitude to the
implementation of portfolios. The results have some implications for teaching and
assessment of writing in the EFL context.

Although it has long been an under-researched topic in the field of applied linguistics, morphological knowledge is nowadays regarded as a key component of vocabulary acquisition. The past two decades have witnessed a proliferation of studies of both L1 and L2 learning contexts which shed light on various issues, ranging from morphological processing to receptive/productive knowledge of derivational and inflectional morphology. However, investigations into the acquisition of English morphology by Serbian EFL learners have, to our knowledge, been scarce. The purpose of this paper is, therefore, to explore the productive derivational knowledge of upper-intermediate Serbian EFL learners by means of three different instruments: a test focusing on the knowledge of the four main word family members (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs), a test of cognate and non-cognate derivatives employing six cognate English-Serbian suffixes (-ous/-oz(a)n, -ize/-izovati, -ation/-acija -ism/-iz(a)m, -ist/-ist(a), -ity/-itet) and a contextualized word-formation skill test. A combination of a qualitative and quantitative approach to data analysis has revealed the difficulties Serbian EFL learners have been experiencing in their morphology/vocabulary classes and it has enabled us to identify common mistakes and weak spots. Our results have pedagogical implications and could be put to use in curriculum design and methodology.

- by Boban Stanojević
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- Teaching EFL, English as a Foreign Language (EFL)

ABSTRACT Word Processing and Quality of EFL Writing: A CALL Experiment By Badran A. Hassan, Ph.D. College of Education, Mansoura Univesity This experiment was conducted to investigate the possible effects of using word... more

- by Badran A Hassan
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- Teaching EFL

Nowadays, Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) becomes the most dominant mode of communication as computers, smartphones, and tablets are worldwide used devices for communication especially with the internet facilities through different platforms. However, despite the spread of computer-mediated communication modes and devices, they were mainly used for entertainment purposes. This research intends to investigate Facebook use as an environment for learning vocabulary. In addition, it aims at developing, within Facebook users, the possible vocabulary learning strategies that would enhance their English vocabulary learning. Therefore, two research tools were used with a group of Facebook users: a questionnaire and an experiment where a facebook group named "Vocabulary Acquisition" was created to be involved in certain vocabulary learning strategies. A pretest and a posttest were used to evaluate the effects of this experiment on English vocabulary learning. The obtained results confirmed that the participants under investigation have significantly improved their vocabulary learning via Facebook. In addition, vocabulary learning has been greatly affected by certain training in some strategies. Hence, Facebook proved to be not only a source of entertainment but also a useful informal learning tool of English vocabulary.

With a high-quality, user-friendly interface that is both easy to navigate and aesthetically pleasing, Busuu delivers, but the reason to choose Busuu over others would be to purchase the premium version for the social networking aspects. Even as a native speaker of English, I was able to learn about dialectal differences. Interactions with native speakers of the target language is both interesting and motivating. This is one of the better apps on the market, but at $9.99 when paid per month, it might be a bit expensive for the casual language learner.

English has a complex status in Japan. On the one hand, it is considered "foreign" in the sense of being the go-to, in-demand foreign language of study. On the other hand, it has had a strong influence in Japanese society in ways that are unique to Japan, such as the use of katakanago 'Western loanwords' as part of Japanese. This complex status is paired with equally complex attitudes towards the role of English in Japan. In this paper, we explore the connection between the status of English and attitudes towards English in Japan, or what we call "EFL + α" (meaning 'with something extra or something special' in Japanese). We examine data from a variety of sources in the public Japanese discourse relating to English use, ranging from online chat boards to official government documents. Based on our data, we notice three prevailing attitudes towards English use in Japan: English as an assumed necessity, English as unnecessary and overvalued, and English as a marker of general communication ability and intelligence. Finally, we suggest approaching the concept of "EFL + α" as a way of making sense of "English in Japan" not only as what is (i.e., variety of English is used in Japan), but also as what is being done (i.e., social and cultural practices around the role of English in Japan).

- by Eric K . Ku and +1
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- Language and Ideology, Teaching EFL

A video lesson (TED TALK) / worksheet (at B1+ level) about the power of reading. The best thing about it is that the speaker is someone likely to speak on technology. Instead, she talks about reading, language, family relations and cultura, and dreams. I thoroughly enjoyed preparing this. Hope your students will enjoy DOING it. Video link on the worksheet.

- by dilene menezes
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- Reading, Teaching EFL, English as a Foreign Language (EFL), TED Talks

The present study was an attempt to explore the vocabulary learning strategy preferences among Iranian EFL learners. It also investigated the relationship between their vocabulary learning strategy use and vocabulary size. To this end, 90 Iranian EFL learners were selected as the participants of the study based on convenience sampling at Islamic Azad University, Kerman, Iran. The instrument used in the current study was Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) consisting of six different categories of vocabulary learning strategies. The other instrument was Nation's vocabulary size test which assessed the learners' lexical knowledge. In order to address the research questions, Freidman Test and Spearman Correlation were conducted. The results revealed that the most frequently used vocabulary learning strategy subgroup was metacognitive and the least frequent one was social strategy. Besides, no significant correlation was found between vocabulary size and vocabulary learning strategies except a small and reverse correlation between the vocabulary size and compensation strategy. The important implication of the study is that if students get aware of vocabulary learning strategies, they may develop their vocabulary size more easily and effectively.

During the past decade English education has been changing in Korea (Jeon, 2009). The government’s focus has been to push for a more communicative approach in the teaching of English, as South Korea’s economic growth began to make a more globalised impact (Littlewood, 2007,Jeon, 2009, Kwon, 2009, Dailey, 2010). In order to foster a greater proficiency in English among its population, the government has adapted the existing curricula, and placed a greater focus on communicative approaches to learning English (Littlewood, 2007, Butler, 2011).

- by David Steyn
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- Teaching English as a Second Language, Teacher Education, South Korea, English