TEFLIN (Teaching English as a Foreign Language in Indonesia) Journal (State University Malang)
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PROMOTING REFLECTIVE PRACTICE VIA THE USE OF 5-STEP COPORA REFLECTIVE MODEL: A CASE STUDY OF EAST MALAYSIAN ESL PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS
Full text linkTeachers who are reflective are found to be more able to develop themselves professionally. However, pre-service teachers were found to be in need of explicit instructions on reflective practice. This paper presents the results of an investigation on the use of the 5-step Cognition Practice Observation Reflection Action (CoPORA) reflective model among a group of Malaysian ESL pre-service teachers enrolled in an Institute of Teacher Education. A qualitative case study design was utilised, where the model was taught to a group of 13 pre-service ESL teachers who later completed the second phase of their teaching practice. The data for this study comprised the respondents' entries in their practicum reflection forms, reflective video blogs and focus group interviews. Results showed that respondents have moved from engaging in the lower levels of reflection to a higher pedagogical reflection. They also responded favourably to the use of the 5-step CoPORA reflective model for its structured approach. Nevertheless, the respondents lamented their struggles in rationalising issues faced and in suggesting suitable solutions. It is proposed that the pre-service teachers were shown exemplars of critical reflection to help them see the level at which they ought to reflect. Alternatively, teacher educators can explore a dialogic or collaborative approach to reflection so pre-service teachers can work with one another to further develop their reflective practice
THE FACTORS CAUSING ENGLISH SPEAKING ANXIETY ON NON-ENGLISH MAJOR ACADEMICS WHILE USING ENGLISH AS A MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION
Full text linkThis qualitative study aims to reveal the factors causing English speaking anxiety on non-English major academics while using English as a medium of instruction. Eight non-English major academics with the experience of teaching in English participated in the present research. Semi-structured one-on-one interviews and e-mail interviews, which are qualitative data collection techniques, were used as data collection tools. Manual coding of qualitative data that requires in-depth reading of the transcripts and assigning codes and themes was used to interpret the data. The results reveal the situations that provoke speaking anxiety among the non-English major academics. They can be grouped under five main themes: academics’ English proficiency, academics’ self-evaluation, learner behaviors, learner inadequacies, and cultural differences. These five main themes can also be confined to individual factors, learner factors, and cultural factors. It can therefore be assumed that the factors causing English speaking anxiety on non-English major academics have to be considered within multidimensional aspects rather than simply originating from academics themselve
READER-TEXT CONNECTION: REPORTING THE ENGAGEMENT OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WITH CULTURALLY RELEVANT TEXTS
Full text linkMaintaining students’ engagement with reading texts that reflect their background knowledge has positive effect on their comprehension. Culturally relevant materials provide more equitable opportunities to students, in the sense that more of them can reap the benefits of being able to connect to the text (Christ & Sharma, 2018). This article aims to identify the characteristics of texts, particularly those categorized as culturally relevant, which make them appropriate for a specific group of students. Three data gathering methods were used: ratings of texts, reflective journals, and discussion points during Literature Circles. Results indicate that the students participating in the study consider that similar experiences, relatability of the story in terms of feelings and motivation conveyed, actions of the characters, and possibility of experiencing the same event are the main factors that made reading texts culturally relevant to them. These text characteristics can guide classroom teachers, materials developers, and curriculum designers in choosing materials and preparing lessons for specific groups of students, as these underscore the importance of text relatability in building and keeping the students’ reading interest and motivation
COGNITIVE DIVERSITY AMONG EFL LEARNERS: IMPLICATIONS FOR TEACHING IN HIGHER EDUCATION
Full text linkWith a theory-driven interest in the factors that make some language learners more successful than others, this study attempts to measure the cognitive diversity level of EFL learners at a Saudi university. To achieve this purpose, the Ehrman and Leaver's questionnaire of learners' cognitive profiles (Ehrman & Leaver, 2003) was adapted, translated into Arabic, and then randomly distributed to foundation year students taking English as a Foreign Language as a main course. The overall results reveal that the cognitive diversity among students is considerable. It ranges between moderate to high, according to the Simpson Diversity Index (Simpson, 1949). On this account, several implications are suggested to improve the quality of EFL teaching at the university level. These implications and recommendations are mostly directed to the committees concerned with qualification assurance or professional development
‘I FEEL LIKE I GO BLANK': IDENTIFYING THE FACTORS AFFECTING CLASSROOM PARTICIPATION IN AN ORAL COMMUNICATION COURSE
Full text linkThis paper reports on a case study of seven undergraduate students' classroom participation in an English-medium university in an EFL context, with a focus on their perceptions about the factors affecting their involvement in interactional opportunities in a specific speaking course. Results suggest that student participation in a foreign language learning setting is a complicated and dynamic process strongly influenced by multiple factors. Students' participation in the language practices of the classroom and their agentive choices for L2 speaking appear to be contingent on the various individual (psychological and social) factors and contextual and classroom-oriented factors. Therefore, this current piece supports the importance of a holistic understanding of multiple factors to arrive at an in-depth picture of students' involvement, engagement, and participation
CAMBODIAN TWELFTH GRADERS' CHOICE FOR ENGLISH PRIVATE TUTORING: QUIT OR NOT TO QUIT?
Full text linkPrivate tutoring is not a new phenomenon for education in both developed and developing countries. However, English private tutoring (EPT) attracted a limited number of studies, although English is viewed as the key to success in non-English speaking countries like Cambodia. By observing EPT as a choice, this mixed-method study, using the convergent design, aimed to explore factors affecting Cambodian 12th graders towards quitting or not quitting EPT during the year of the national examination. Quantitative data were collected from 639 twelfth graders in Cambodia via a self-rated questionnaire, while qualitative data were obtained from 8 respondents. Findings reveal that the decision of leaving EPT is more influenced by their parents, while that of continuing EPT is stirred by educational aspirations, internal motivation as well as part-time employment during their university life. Surprisingly, unlike private tutoring of other core exam subjects, this study found that students from better income families in Cambodia do not seem interested in investing in EPT. It is proposed that an ‘exam-career balance' syllabus be developed and implemented in both mainstream schools and EPT classes to boost the success probability of Cambodian 12th graders in their exams as well as their future
FACTORS AFFECTING INDONESIAN YOUNG LEARNERS' ENGLISH PROFICIENCY LEVEL
Full text linkThis study was aimed at investigating the influencing factors on students' English proficiency levels based on Cambridge English Tests for Children and Young Learners. A preliminary survey was undertaken to select the sample of elementary schools that offered English as a subject. As many as 157 students who sat in Grades 4, 5, and 6 from nine elementary schools participated in this study. The findings revealed that the average of students' scores was at Starters/Movers Level, which is equal to A1 in the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). Through multiple regression analysis, three out of five investigated factors were detected to be significantly related to students' English proficiency levels, namely gender, grade level, and school accreditation rank. While rich literature has found gender and grade level as one of the affective variables in language learning, none has studied whether school accreditation status influences young learners' English achievement. It is recommended that schools and related stakeholders consider these factors to ensure effective English teaching to young learners. It is also suggested that future researchers conduct further study on how and under what conditions the factors can contribute to students' English achievement
THE EFFECT OF TEACHING CULTURAL CONTENT ON INTERMEDIATE EFL LEARNERS' READING COMPREHENSION ABILITY
Full text linkThis study investigated the effect of teaching cultural content on Iranian intermediate English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' reading comprehension. To this end, 60 intermediate EFL learners from Shokouh Institute in Motelqu, Mazandaran, Iran were selected randomly and assigned to two groups, namely the control group and experimental group; 30 participants in each group were chosen based on their performance using the Oxford Placement Test (OPT). This study used a quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest control group research design. After the OPT, the reading comprehension pre-test was given to the participants to check their initial reading comprehension. During a six-week treatment period, both control and experimental groups received the same routine lesson plan of the institute but only the experimental group enjoyed the culture instruction in order to test its effect on learners' reading comprehension improvement. At the final stage, the post-test was given to check their reading comprehension after the six-week treatment period. The data were analyzed using an Independent Samples T-test and a series of paired Samples T-tests. The results of this study showed that receiving cultural content instruction improved learners' reading comprehension. In general, the results of experimental group supported the effect of teaching cultural content on Iranian learners' reading comprehension
INDONESIAN STUDENTS' STRATEGIES TO COPE WITH FOREIGN LANGUAGE ANXIETY
Full text linkPrevious research reports that foreign language anxiety (FLA) is one of the affective factors exerting influence on foreign language learning. Myriad studies have examined how foreign language learners cope with foreign language anxiety. However, few studies have addressed the particular moments when students feel the most anxious and how they cope with this anxiety. The present study aims to (1) identify specific moments when students feel the most anxious; (2) investigate their coping strategies, and (3) recognize the changes in the strategies used by the students during specific moments in their language learning. In so doing, a stimulated recall was carried out among five university students from non-English departments who had to conduct presentations in English. The findings show that they displayed different levels of anxiety, which resulted in several accidents during the presentation. The participants with a high anxiety level tended to utilize monotonous coping strategies. This study implies that teachers need to take into account their students' anxiety levels before they commence a new term or semester. When encountering highly anxious students, they can introduce the learners to alternative strategies to cope with anxiety
EFL STUDENTS' MOTIVATION IN WRITING, WRITING PROFICIENCY, AND GENDER
Full text linkThere have been a lot of research studies on the role of motivation in education and language learning. However, research on the role of motivation in the area of EFL (English as a foreign language) writing is a rare undertaking. This study aimed to examine the correlation between EFL students' motivation in writing and their writing proficiency. It also compared female and male students in terms of their motivation in writing and their writing proficiency. This study involved 55 university students of English department (17 female and 38 male students) who were required to write essays and respond to a motivation in writing questionnaire. The results showed that there was a high correlation between the EFL students' motivation in writing and their writing proficiency. It was also revealed that there were significant differences in the motivation in writing as well as writing proficiency of the female and male students. The findings of this study suggested that the EFL students who had a higher level of motivation in writing had better writing proficiency. The study also showed that female students outperformed male students in terms of both motivation in writing and writing proficiency