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Fostering writing proficiency in LSP courses: Integrating audio and video lectures to enhance academic listening and writing skills
Get PDFIn comparison to productive skills, primarily speaking, listening has long held the Cinderella skill status in foreign language teaching. However, there is a noticeable change in that trend as nowadays there is more research, literature, and guidance on how listening can be taught more effectively. This paper explores one specific type of listening used in LSP courses, i.e. audio and video lectures. Lectures provide students with a general overview of a topic and thus present a starting point for further study at university. In LSP courses lectures in a foreign language can significantly contribute to learning that foreign language in terms of pronunciation and vocabulary, and can be used as an input for writing assignments, reading, or speaking activities. Thus, the main focus of the paper is on combining listening and writing, more precisely on how short audio and video lectures can be used in LSP courses to enhance students' writing skills. By listening to lectures students can, for example, learn how to take notes efficiently, and then use these notes to write an outline, a paragraph, an essay, or a lecture summary. Accordingly, the paper presents activities that can be implemented in LSP classes
Bliss or woe? L2 teachers' online self-efficacy beliefs during emergency remote teaching in turbulent times
Get PDFIn February 2023, a massive earthquake struck the southeastern region of Turkey, leaving profound repercussions for eleven cities and thousands of people including numerous teachers and students. Once again, the need for emergency remote teaching arose and schools had to switch back to online instruction, requiring teachers as well as students to quickly adapt to the new circumstances in Turkey. This study aimed to investigate how teachers handled this situation, and focused on examining their online teacher self-efficacy beliefs. The research utilized a convergent parallel mixed-methods design, incorporating an online self-efficacy scale and focus group interviews. A total of 90 participants working at the School of Foreign Languages of a state university were included in the quantitative phase of the study, while 10 volunteers participated in the focus-groups interviews. The findings revealed that participants demonstrated a moderate level of teacher self-efficacy, which was positively influenced by their prior experiences in online teaching. However, no statistically significant variance in teacher self-efficacy level was found among teachers with varying years of overall teaching experience. Teachers expressed confidence in their abilities and a dedication to delivering their best. They acknowledged and praised their own efforts and their swift adaptation to online teaching. However, certain external factors, such as administrative and technical issues, presented challenges impacting their self-confidence. Moreover, students’ lack of motivation and disciplinary issues emerged as additional obstacles to the instructors’ self-beliefs. In line with these findings, the study points to a number of implications for addressing the challenges in online instruction
The investigation of English language teachers’ use of literature and innovative technologies in the classroom according to various variables
Get PDFThis study investigated the utilization of literature and innovative technologies in language teaching among EFL teachers working in secondary and high schools, taking into account various variables. The research involved 154 English teachers who worked in both private and public secondary and high schools in southeastern Türkiye. A mixed research methodology was employed, using a 40-item Likert scale and a questionnaire consisting of open-ended and closed-ended questions to gather quantitative data. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 teachers who volunteered to participate, offering a more comprehensive exploration of the topic. The quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS, and inductive thematic analysis was applied for the qualitative data. The results indicated that English teachers acknowledged the potential of literature usage in language teaching. However, the integration of literature within their classrooms varied significantly based on factors such as gender, age, and reading habits. The study also examined the adoption of innovative technological resources like digital storytelling tools and blogs in EFL classrooms. The findings revealed that English teachers held positive attitudes towards employing such technologies in language teaching. They believed that these materials could effectively enhance students' language skills, creativity, and motivation. Nevertheless, they identified specific challenges that hindered the incorporation of these materials in the language classroom, including limited school facilities, students' language proficiency levels, curriculum constraints, and time limitations
We barely wrote this paper: Sociolinguistic relativity in Southwestern U.S. schools and its impact on English language teaching
Get PDFThis paper offers a critical discourse analysis of three potentially challenging communicative interactions between teachers and Spanish-speaking Active Bilingual Learners of English (ABLE) students in Southwestern U.S. schools. 1. Passive voice in situations involving causality is much more common in Spanish than in English; 2. results from a pilot study show how the word “barely” is frequently used as a temporal adverb, like “just,” by many individuals living in the Southwest who have grown up in a figured world influenced by the Spanish language and/or Chicano English; and 3. within the figured worlds of many students from Latin America, it is common to respectfully call one’s teacher, simply maestro, profe, Señor, or Señora. The equivalents of these in English often are met with disapproval by U.S. teachers feeling disrespected by being called “teacher,” “mister,” or “miss,” instead of their last name. Although certainly not comprehensive, these three kinds of language use uncover both the ubiquitous and the implicit sociolinguistic relativity of what we refer to as the “linguistic figured worlds” of Spanish-speaking ABLE students in the U.S. Southwest. We use a systemic functional linguistics approach to document this sociolinguistic relativity and to analyze its potential impact on English language teaching
Plurilingual repertoires and identity constructions in transit states of the Arabian Gulf: A language portrait study with young people in a Turkish school
Get PDFThis study focuses on the role of plurilingual repertoires in the construction of identities among adolescents in the Arabian Gulf region. The region attracts numerous migrant workers, each contributing to the linguistic diversity of a largely multilingual yet under-researched population. We analyzed visual data - specifically language portraits (LPs) - and interview responses from twelve adolescents attending a Turkish school in this region. This school was chosen for two reasons: firstly, its plurilingual environment was representative of the diverse linguistic interactions we aimed to study, and secondly, the school offered convenient access to the study group as the first author was working there as a teacher. Our analysis contributes to the understanding of the complex and dynamic interplay between plurilingual repertoires and identity constructions. A thematic and metaphorical analysis of LPs reveals how the young participants navigated their identities amidst intricate relationships among social, territorial, imagined, and symbolic affiliations. These connections notably shape the dynamics of transit societies, particularly in settings where English is the common language
Input optimization: Verb-argument constructions in English textbooks in Türkiye
Get PDFBased on usage-based approaches to second language acquisition, studies point at a statistically significant correlation between type-token frequency, skewed distribution of items, and faster learning. Madlener (2016) shows a positive correlation between a Zipfian distribution of items in a German construction and faster, more accurate learning of the construction. While there are many studies that analyze input in English language teaching materials, no study has scrutinized selected constructions from an input optimization perspective, following Madlener (2016). Thus, using TAASSC (Kyle, 2016), the present paper analyzes four constructions, V in N, V about N, V for N, V with N, and the ditransitive constructions in the high school English textbooks in Turkey. The results indicate that the input available for these constructions are not viable for generalizations to occur, leaving learners with unproductive one-time instantiations of the constructions, and low token frequency of these constructions also suggest that little to no entrenchment might take place. As such, the study proposes adopting a more corpus-based approach to English teaching materials
Comparing research articles in pulmonology and other disciplines
Get PDFThere have been many arguments for research-informed pedagogy in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) classes, including medical English classes. While there has been a wealth of research on writing in English for medical purposes, there has been little research on academic research articles (RAs) specifically in the pulmonology domain with very little empirical information about linguistic patterning useful in materials design for writing instruction. The extent to which writing in that branch of medicine is similar to writing in hard sciences in general is unknown. The present study analyzes the linguistic features in a specialized corpus of pulmonology research articles and a comparison corpus of research articles from other scientific disciplines using three of the functional dimensions established by Biber (1988) that are relevant to academic writing—the first, third, and fifth dimension. Results indicate that in comparison to research articles in other hard sciences, pulmonology research articles have more densely packed information and less abstract information. Pedagogical implications for academic writing teachers of respiratory therapy students in EFL and ESL contexts and future research directions are discussed
Understanding English language teachers’ digital literacies and their willingness to change
Get PDFRecent technological advancements have notably changed educational methods, necessitating language teachers to adopt technology to improve the learning process. This includes not only familiarization with the Metaverse but also the proficient use of digital tools to captivate learners. However, the effect of these technological advancements on teachers’ ability to adapt is still largely unexamined. This study, therefore, focuses on examining how language teachers’ digital literacy, engagement with Web 2.0 applications, understanding of the Metaverse, and their inherent willingness to change affect their readiness to adopt new teaching methods. The study was quantitative and data was gathered from 191 language teachers in North Cyprus High schools and analyzed using Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with WarpPLS 8.0 software. The findings indicate a significant correlation between teachers’ digital literacy, their use of Web 2.0 and Metaverse applications, with their willingness to embrace new technologies. The findings also indicate that a significant number of language teachers exhibit resistance to change and lack familiarity with recent technological advancements. The study concludes by offering insights into the implications of these findings
A descriptive analysis of digital game-based foreign language education
Get PDFDigital games are increasingly being used for foreign language learning; a trend that has grown popular recently. This research dives deeply into this topic, assessing different skill areas targeted by these digital games, and how they are utilized in various settings worldwide - educational and otherwise. The research takes into account studies carried out between 2010 and 2021. The study's methodology is rooted in qualitative research, specifically the embedded theory design, and the gathered data is interpreted through a descriptive analysis approach. Out of an initial pool of 145 academic studies reviewed, 57 met the necessary criteria for inclusion, such as quality of data, sample size, year of publication, gender balance, and content relevance. The analyzed data is then expressed in terms of frequency and percentages for simplicity and easier understanding. The findings show that studies focusing on the use of digital games for foreign language learning have multiplied in recent years. However, a large proportion of these studies are heavily focused on vocabulary acquisition. This led to the suggestion that future work in this area should broaden its scope to include other important language skills like reading, writing, and listening, in addition to vocabulary.
Factors affecting students' speaking anxiety in English language classroom
Get PDFIn today's world, it is obvious that learning English is not just memorizing words or grammar rules. There is an increasing importance attributed to communicative English. Speaking, one of the four basic language skills, is considered extremely necessary for learners to use the target language effectively. However, anxiety in speaking classes is seen as a major obstacle for language learners’ performance and communicative competence. The aim of this study is to identify whether the high school students’ foreign language speaking anxiety has significant differences in terms of their gender, grade level, self-perceived English level, receiving any special support for speaking, and their English exam scores. A Likert type scale was administered to 250 students studying at a state high school in the fall semester of the 2022-2023 academic year. According to the findings, it was seen that they had a moderate level of anxiety. Moreover, it was seen that there was no statistically significant difference between students' foreign language speaking anxiety level and having received special speaking support before. However, students' genders, grade levels, English scores in the previous year, and their self-perceived English level were found to be effective on foreign language speaking anxiety