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Investigating Learners’ Listening Comprehension Strategy Awareness and its Implications for Language Learning
Get PDFIn recent years, the importance of listening when becoming communicatively competent in a new language has been increasingly recognized, and authors such as Richards (2002; 2005) have responded to this awareness by producing material specifically designed to meet this need. In order to develop listening proficiency, other authors (e.g. Vandergrift, 1999) have investigated listening strategies. It is possible that other factors might also influence learners’ listening competence and their strategy choices. The study reported here aimed at finding the relationship between learners’ listening strategy use and listening comprehension achievement concerning their proficiency level, gender, and field of study. The population of the study included 322 university students (99 males, 223 females) at B2 level of proficiency according to the Common European Framework of Reference, who were studying to specialize in Nursing, Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, and Psychology in a university in İzmir, Turkey. Data were collected through a listening strategy inventory applied to measure learners’ use of metacognitive, cognitive and socioaffective strategies and a listening comprehension achievement test. Statistical analyses of the data revealed statistically significant positive correlations between listening strategy use and listening comprehension achievement (higher achievers used strategies more frequently). There were also significant differences between listening comprehension achievement and listening strategy use with regard to the aforementioned variables
Rethinking Teaching Listening Skills: A Case Study
Get PDFThis study explores EAP teachers’ views of underlying problems in teaching listening skills and the strategies adopted by them to overcome problems at the tertiary level in EFL contexts. The study is based on the theoretical assumption of listening perception processes and its role in language development as hypothesised by Richards (2008). In this instrumental case study, one EAP teacher was purposively interviewed to identify their understanding of the investigated issue. The generated data were analysed following the basic qualitative analysis method. The findings demonstrate that in teaching listening skills both the top-down and bottom-up approaches should be adopted to integrate process-based listening skills teaching, which promotes target language acquisition in and out of the classroom. The findings may make the EAP practitioners reconsider incorporating the bottom-up approach to improve the existing strategies of teaching listening skills at the tertiary level
Teachers’ Classroom Interactional Competence: Scale Development and Validation
Get PDFInteractional competence has recently gained considerable attention in language education. As an aspect of this competence, classroom interactional competence has been in the limelight since Walsh’s (2006) delineation of this concept. However, there is no survey tool to measure teachers’ classroom interactional competence. To bridge this gap, the present study describes the development and validation of a teachers’ classroom interactional competence (TCIC) scale. An outline of the relevant literature related to classroom interactional competence is provided, along with the process of scale development and validation. An exploratory factor analysis of the data from a large sample of language teachers (N = 564) resulted in a 46-item scale that constituted nine factors, namely visual organizers, sociocultural interaction, questioning, interactional patterns, repair, language modification, turn taking, managerial interaction, and rhetorical script. The implications of the scale for the measurement and, in turn, the enhancement of teachers’ classroom interactional competence are discussed
ESL Teachers’ Perceptions of Effective Classroom Assessment Feedback
Get PDFFeedback is integral to classroom assessment. Language development is maximized if teachers and students use feedback more efficiently and effectively (Brown, 2019). This study examined how primary and secondary ESL teachers use classroom assessment feedback effectively to support student learning, actively involve young language learners in the feedback process, and support young language learners in understanding and using classroom assessment feedback. Fifteen ESL teachers were recruited for this study using convenience sampling. All the teachers participated in one-on-one semi-structured interviews through a web-based video conferencing platform. I developed an interview protocol, which helped to guide each interview and allowed me to ask follow-up questions as needed. The main aims of the interviews were to get information about the teachers’ classroom assessment practices, classroom assessment feedback, self-assessment practices, peer assessment practices, and strategies to help their students make sense of the feedback and make use of it. The findings suggest that teachers perceive classroom assessment feedback as a dialogic process in which teachers and students discuss the feedback to help students understand and use it. The teachers actively engaged students in the feedback process using peer and self-assessment. However, teachers must provide much support to help students understand and use the feedback effectively to promote learning. Some implications for practice and suggestions for future research are also provided
The Influence of Passage Cohesion on Cloze Test Item Difficulty
Get PDFThe role of context in cloze tests has long been seen as both a benefit as well as a complication in their usefulness as a measure of second language comprehension (Brown, 2013). Passage cohesion, in particular, would seem to have a relevant and important effect on the degree to which cloze items function and the interpretability of performances (Brown, 1983; Dastjerdi & Talebinezhad, 2006; Oller & Jonz, 1994). With recent evidence showing that cloze items can require examinees to access information at both the sentence and passage level (Trace, 2020), it’s worthwhile to now look back and examine the relationship between aspects of passage cohesion—referential cohesion, semantic overlap, and incidence of conjunctives—and item difficulty by classification. The current study draws upon a large pool of cloze test passages and items (k = 377) originally used by Brown (1993) along with automated text analysis of cohesion (Coh-Metrix, McNamara et al., 2014) to examine the impact of passage cohesion on item function. Correlations, factor analysis, and linear regression point to clear though minimal differences for both sentential and intersentential items as they relate to aspects of passage cohesion, the results of which may inform future test design and interpretation of cloze performance
Fluency in Speaking as a Dynamic Construct
Get PDFIn current research into second language (L2) speaking, aspects of fluency are measured as static constructs. Averaged over a complete speaking performance, for instance, syllables per minute is calculated. Similarly, the number of pauses is calculated per minute, averaged over a complete speaking task. This paper argues, however, that we need to investigate fluency as a dynamic construct. Research into L1 speaking has shown that L1 fluency aspects may show cyclical temporal patterns (Roberts & Kirsner, 2000). In addition, research into the changes in perception of L2 comprehensibility during task performance has shown that L2 comprehensibility may show dynamic patterns, with implications for ratings on comprehensibility (Nagle et al., 2019). This paper, therefore, argues that L2 fluency should be investigated as a dynamic construct as well. The paper finishes by sketching pedagogical implications and directions for future research
The Relationship Between CEO Power, Audit Fees and Corporate Growth Opportunities
Get PDFOne of the most important goals of companies is to create value and increase the wealth of shareholders in the long run and the increase in wealth will be achieved only as a result of the desired performance of the company and the desired performance will be achieved with proper management of the company. In this regard, company managers and especially the CEO play an important role in running the company. Therefore, various decisions in the company are influenced by the power and influence of the CEO. Also, the impact of the CEO's power and influence on the company's outcomes depends on the comparative advantage of benefits and costs. Therefore, in this study, the relationship between CEO power, audit fees and corporate growth opportunities has been investigated. The statistical population of the research is the companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange and the research period is from 2011 to 2020. To test the research hypotheses, 77 companies were selected by systematic elimination method. To test the hypotheses, panel data were used and the relationship between variables was estimated using multivariate regression. The results show that there is a negative (positive) and significant relationship between CEO power (audit fee) and corporate growth opportunities. Also, CEO power has a significant moderating effect on the relationship between audit fees and corporate growth opportunities. The research findings could cover the research gap in this area and be useful for managers, investors, and capital market lawmakers in decision making
Process Optimization of the Selected Business Using a Process Approach
Get PDFThe aim of our research was to optimize the existing process approach of the selected small business (SME), due to the desire for long-term effectiveness, cost-efficiency, and market competitiveness. SMEs have several specific characteristics related to their limited size, lower level of diversification, low capital strength, limited market, and higher risk. On the other hand, they are more flexible, as they can adapt quickly to new conditions, have closer contact with customers and are very important for economy employment. Due to inevitable need of business management improvement and performance optimization, a process snapshot was performed to obtain the existing process approach. Based on the snapshot, identification of critical points was perpetuated, which enabled obtaining basic decision-making information. Based on the latter, a critical analysis of necessary furtherance’s was carried out: improvements of specific activities and elimination of redundant or unnecessary activities. For the purpose of real SME environment improvement of performance, we made a proposed problem solution, which represents an improved and optimized process approach for all of the fundamental processes of the company, based on the ISO 9001:2015 standard. Proposed optimized process approach was implemented immediately but gradually. The results were measured based on the overall number of proposed improvements (through the implemented renewed process approach) and the number of improvements that had been implemented by the time this research was conducted. It is estimated that the proposed solution has already been implemented (certain activities completely, others partially) in 62%. Even due to the partial implementation of optimized process approach, the business’s results have improved. This is reflected in increased market demand by 7% due to more efficient, faster order fulfillment and increased income by 3,5%, compared to the previous two years. The latter emphasizes the importance of a process approach implementation, which affects the improvement of productivity and efficiency, increases knowledge sharing amongst employees, enables collaborative workplace, flexibility and agility of the company, easier compliance with regulations, improves customer experience, reduces costs, and enables higher revenues.  
The Concept of Applied Strategic Analysis of Learning and Growth
Get PDFLearning and growth is one of the essential tools that companies ought to use in today's market economy in order to ensure their sustainable development in the long-term and, consequently, to achieve their maximum market value. This article is predominantly of theoretical nature and considers the possibility of using the applied strategic analysis technique that was developed by the author to analyze learning and growth in the course of a study of strategic aspects of learning and growth. The technique is based on the balanced scorecard system of the same name. Methodologically, the study is based on Kaplan and Norton's balanced scorecard concept and the author's concept of applied strategic analysis. Findings – It is shown that applied strategic analysis of learning and growth envisages comparative evaluation, diagnostics of deviations and predictions of the values of the balanced scorecard metrics of learning and growth in the dimension of strategic objectives. It includes analysis of the level of motivation in employees, the volume of authority delegation and whether their personal goals match company goals; analysis of the expansion capacity of information systems, and analysis of the quality of retraining and the creativity level of employees. The applied strategic analysis of learning and growth with a comparative evaluation of the metrics of the level of motivation in employees, the volume of delegation to them and of the match between their personal and corporate goals, and concludes with a prediction of the values of factor measures of the quality of retraining and creativity development in employees. The author comes to the conclusion that applied strategic analysis of learning and growth is a new and sufficiently effective instrument for studying the strategic aspects of companies' performance that is associated with the training and development of their personnel. The instrument provides analytical support to strategic management as regards personnel training and development in today's conditions. Its results might be useful when working out managerial decisions for the company's short-term, medium-term and long-term plans in the area of learning and growth
A Theoretical Model of Hope for Teaching English Language
Get PDFThere is a research scarcity in theoretical conceptualizing of hope for teaching second or foreign languages. On the other hand, adopting an exploratory mixed-methods research design, Ghadyani et al. (2020) presented a categorical framework of hope for teaching English as a foreign language. Continuing the previous study, the specific objective of this paper is to depict the process by which hope for teaching English as a foreign language is created. Given conducted in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of experienced EFL teachers, a qualitative theoretical model of hope for teaching EFL was developed. Piloting provided a benchmark against which to validate the qualitative results. In the testing phase, 228 Iranian EFL teachers were given the developed scale (Ghadyani et al., 2020). The final theoretical model of hope for teaching EFL was developed and confirmed via performing statistical data analysis. It was revealed that hope for teaching English as a foreign language can be achieved through five paths. The process tends to start with the factor ‘interpersonal relationship’ and it comes to an end with the factor ‘anticipated effort’. The variable ‘source’ was identified and confirmed as the core factor. Additionally, results of this study are compared with those of the research done by Ghadyani et al. (2021, 2022). The findings would be valuable to program designers and curriculum evaluators in assessing the effective use of the second/foreign language teaching