Thai EFL learners’ Voices on Learning English Online during the COVID-19 Pandemic (Published)
During the current pandemic, the unprecedented closure of universities and schools has revived the application of fully online teaching and learning. This study aims to explore Thai EFL learners’ views on online learning implementation during the Covid-19 outbreaks. Data were collected qualitatively with 30 Thai undergraduate students majoring in business English through written reflections, and five of whom were selected purposively to participate in a semi-structured interview. Based on qualitative data analysis, the findings indicated that the student participants expressed positive attitudes towards online learning as it was seen as suitable during the current pandemic, yet they preferred learning English in face-to-face classrooms to online ones. Also, unstable internet connection, lack of interaction and teachers’ explanation, as well as potential distractions were common challenges for their online English learning. Suggestions were also provided by the participants, and pedagogical implications were discussed.
Keywords: COVID-19, EFL Learners’, Reflections, online learning
A Study on the Impact of Mall (Mobile Assisted Language Learning) On EFL Learners’ Reading Comprehension (Published)
Technological developments with the adoption of mobile multimedia devices and applications have translated into huge opportunities for English as a foreign language (EFL). Consequently, this study probes the impact of Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL) on EFL learners’ reading comprehension. The population of this study was intermediate female EFL students (15-20 years old) at English Language institutes located in Kerman, district 2. A Cambridge Placement Test (CPT) was used to have almost homogenous groups. After administrating the CPT, 40 students who were randomly and equally assigned to the experimental and control groups (20 students in each group) were selected as the sample of this study. To see the impact of MALL on EFL learners’ reading comprehension, reading comprehension test (EnglishForEveryone.org graded English Worksheets) in form of multiple choice and some open ended questions was used as a pre – test and post – test to assess the participants’ reading comprehension in both control and experimental group. The result revealed that EFL learners favor reading comprehension via mobile phones due to the convenience facilitated by the portability and accessibility of the mobile phones.
Keywords: EFL Learners’, MALL, Reading Comprehension
The Impact of Raising Phonological Awareness on Improving EFL Learners Reading Comprehension: A Case Study at Preparatory Year Najran University (Published)
The study utilized experimental and descriptive approach to identify the impact of raising phonological awareness on improving EFL reading comprehension skill among Preparatory Year students at Najran University (NU). Phonological Awareness is an applied linguistic term which refers to the ability to hear and manipulate the sound structure of language. It is an encompassing term that involves working with the sounds of language at the word, syllable, and phoneme level and contains many processes. The study is an attempt to identify the impact of phonological awareness training and gender on reading performance of preparatory year students at NU. The sample consisted of (160) students, (80) males and (80) females. Phonological Awareness Skills Test and Cronbach Alpha Coefficient utilized to measure progress in four phonological awareness skills including word identification, word deletion, word blending and word rhyming while a reading passage. Pre- and post-Cloze Test applied to identify the reading levels of the participants. In addition, simple percentage and T-Test utilized to statically analyze the data. The results revealed that training on phonological awareness skills significantly improved the reading performance of the students in the experimental group.
Keywords: Comprehension, EFL Learners’, Najran University, Phonological Awareness
Xenophobia in Iraqi EFL Learning Context (Published)
This study is an attempt to investigate Iraqi EEL learners’ conception of xenophobia and whether it has a negative effect on their learning English as a foreign language. The study hypothesizes that: (1) it is fair to speculate that xenophobia has been at least partially responsible for hindering deep-level learning and students who undergo xenophobia are likely to be pessimistic as regards the foreign language, (2) learners’ attitudes toward English as a foreign language differs depending on whether they are rural or urban, (3) the disposition of female learners towards the term xenophobia differs in comparison to that of male learners. To this end, a questionnaire is administered to 50 Iraqi undergraduate EFL learners at the University of Babylon/College of Education for Human Sciences/Department of English during the academic year (2016-2017) by which students were asked to report on their perception and interpretation of the term xenophobia.
Keywords: EFL Learners’, Gender, Rural, Urban, xenophobia
The Effect of Motivation on Developing EFL Learners’ Reading Comprehension Skills (Published)
This study is set up to examine how motivation affects on comprehending English texts. It concentrates on reading comprehension mainly because reading is the important one of the four skills in English as foreign language (EFL). The participants are university teachers of English language and undergraduate English language students at Blue Nile University in Sudan. The researcher used the descriptive analytical approach because it is suitable for such studies. The data of this study collected by means of questionnaire and tests. This study leads to the findings that there are: motivational techniques improve the EFL intrinsic motivation to read, motivation and attitudes affect on EFL learners’ reading comprehension skills, and different techniques of teaching reading comprehension are helpful in comprehending English texts. Finally the researcher recommends that reading strategies should be taught to EFL students and using games, elements of fun and humors in the classroom motivate students to read and understand.
Keywords: EFL Learners’, Motivation, Reading Comprehension
A Study on the Impact of MALL (Mobile Assisted Language Learning) on EFL learners’ Reading comprehension (Published)
Technological developments with the adoption of mobile multimedia devices and applications have translated into huge opportunities for English as a foreign language (EFL). Consequently, this study probes the impact of Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL) on EFL learners’ reading comprehension. The population of this study was intermediate female EFL students (15-20 years old) at English Language institutes located in Kerman, district 2. A Cambridge Placement Test (CPT) was used to have almost homogenous groups. After administrating the CPT, 40 students who were randomly and equally assigned to the experimental and control groups (20 students in each group) were selected as the sample of this study. To see the impact of MALL on EFL learners’ reading comprehension, reading comprehension test (EnglishForEveryone.org graded English Worksheets) in form of multiple choice and some open ended questions was used as a pre – test and post – test to assess the participants’ reading comprehension in both control and experimental group. The result revealed that EFL learners favor reading comprehension via mobile phones due to the convenience facilitated by the portability and accessibility of the mobile phones.
Keywords: EFL Learners’, MALL, Reading Comprehension
Video Clips Used As an Assessment Tool in Listening Placement Tests (Published)
The present study attempted to capture the possible effects of using videos in assessing listening skill of EFL learners in placement tests. To carry out the study, 100 elementary, intermediate and advanced language learners who had registered for fall English classes were singled out by an OPT and were randomly assigned into two groups: an experimental group received oxford placement test, and a control group received video placement test, each group containing 50 subjects. All the subjects were assessed by a multiple-choice test based on video activity books named ‘Four Corners and English Result’. Finally, after administering the test, the data were analyzed by several correlations and independent t-tests. The results of the data analysis revealed that there was a significant difference in the performance of experimental and control groups; the participants of the experimental group performed better than the participants in the control group at the elementary, intermediate, and advanced levels. The findings demonstrated that the use of videos in assessing listening skill in placement tests of language institutes allowed the raters to sort the participants with more accuracy into different levels of language. In analyzing the participants’ attitude towards using video as a tool of assessment in placement tests, the results showed that the use of videos helped the participants overcome their test anxiety.
Keywords: EFL Learners’, Placement Test, Test anxiety, Video Clips
THE EFFECT OF SHADOWING ON EFL LEARNERS’ ORAL PERFORMANCE IN TERMS OF FLUENCY (Published)
Shadowing is a technique which has been used widely for many years and has led to much better listening comprehension skills. This paper reports on research aimed at discovering if there is a link between shadowing and the fluency of EFL learners’ oral performance. Forty learners of Intermediate level took part in the study for a month as part of either an experimental or control group. A strong relationship between shadowing and the fluency of learners’ L2 production was found. The results are of great significance for ELT
Keywords: EFL Learners’, Oral Performance, Terms of Fluency