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"English as a second language"
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The Cambridge guide to second language assessment
\"This collection of original articles provides language teachers with a theoretical background of key issues associated with language testing as well as practical advice on how to improve the effectiveness of the tests they develop and implement. Written by internationally prominent researchers and educators, the chapters are organized into five sections: key issues in the field, assessment purposes and approaches, assessment of second language skills, technology in assessment, and administrative issues. Chapters assume no particular background knowledge and are written in an accessible style\"-- Provided by publisher.
Book
Exploring the potential of an AI-based Chatbot (ChatGPT) in enhancing English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching: perceptions of EFL Faculty Members
The aim of this survey study was to investigate the perceptions of ten English as a Foreign Language (EFL) faculty members at Northern Border University regarding the effectiveness of ChatGPT in supporting their students’ English language learning. The study utilized in-depth interviews with the faculty members as the primary data collection method. The results of the interviews demonstrated that the faculty members held varying opinions about the efficacy of ChatGPT. Some faculty members acknowledged its usefulness in providing rapid and accurate responses to a wide range of questions, while others expressed concerns that ChatGPT might hinder students’ development of critical thinking and research skills, and potentially reinforce biases or misinformation. The study sample perceives ChatGPT as a valuable tool for complementing and enhancing traditional EFL teaching methods. Nonetheless, the faculty members recognized ChatGPT’s value as a teaching and learning aid and recommended further experimental research to evaluate its effectiveness. The study emphasizes the potential of ChatGPT as a tool for enhancing EFL students’ English language proficiency.
Journal Article
Foreign accent : the phenomenon of non-native speech
\"To what extent do our accents determine the way we are perceived by others? Is foreign accent inevitably associated with social stigma? Accent is a matter of great public interest given the impact of migration on national and global affairs, but until now, applied linguistics research has treated accent largely as a theoretical puzzle. In this fascinating account, Alene Moyer examines the social, psychological, educational and legal ramifications of sounding 'foreign'. She explores how accent operates contextually through analysis of issues such as: the neuro-cognitive constraints on phonological acquisition, individual factors that contribute to the 'intractability' of accent, foreign accent as a criterion for workplace discrimination, and the efficacy of instruction for improving pronunciation. This holistic treatment of second language accent is an essential resource for graduate students and researchers interested in applied linguistics, bilingualism and foreign language education\"-- Provided by publisher.
Book
Beyond Vocabulary: Exploring Cross-Disciplinary Academic-Language Proficiency and Its Association With Reading Comprehension
Despite a long-standing awareness of academic language as a pedagogically relevant research area, the construct of academic-language proficiency, understood as a more comprehensive set of skills than just academic vocabulary, has remained vaguely specified. In this study, we explore a more inclusive operationalization of an academic-language proficiency construct, core academic-language skills (CALS). CALS refers to a constellation of highutility language skills hypothesized to support reading comprehension across school content areas. Using the Core Academic Language Skills Instrument (CALS-1), a theoretically grounded and psychometrically robust innovative tool, we first examined the variability in students' CALS by grade, English proficiency designation, and socioeconomic status (SES). Then, we examined the contribution of CALS to reading comprehension using academic vocabulary knowledge, word reading fluency, and sociodemographic factors as covariates. A linguistically and socioeconomically diverse cross-sectional sample of 218 students (grades 4-6) participated in four assessments: the CALS-1, a standardized reading comprehension assessment (Gates-MacGinitie Reading Test), an academic vocabulary test (Vocabulary Association Test), and a word reading fluency test (Test of Silent Word Reading Fluency). General linear model analysis of variance revealed that CALS differed significantly by grade, English-proficiency designation, and SES, with students in higher grades, English-proficient students, and those from higher SES backgrounds displaying higher scores, on average. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses identified CALS as an independent predictor of reading comprehension, even after controlling for academic vocabulary knowledge, word reading fluency, and sociodemographic factors. By specifying a set of language skills associated with reading comprehension, this study advances our understanding of school-relevant language skills, making them more visible for researchers and educators.
Journal Article
English for everyone : course book. Level 3 intermediate
\"A complete self-study English-language course that combines easy-to-use visual learning with crystal-clear grammar explanations, practice exercises, and free audio\"--Page 4 of cover.
Book
The Relationship of Lexical Richness to the Quality of ESL Learners' Oral Narratives
The present study was an examination of the relationship of lexical richness to the quality of English as a second language (ESL) learners' oral narratives. A computational system was designed to automate the measurement of 3 dimensions of lexical richness, that is, lexical density, sophistication, and variation, using 25 different metrics proposed in the language acquisition literature. This system was used to analyze large-scale data from the Spoken English Corpus of Chinese Learners together with the vocd utility of the Computerized Language Analysis programs, which offers an additional measure of lexical variation, the D measure. This comprehensive analysis allowed us to identify measures that correlate strongly with the raters' judgments of the quality of ESL learners' oral narratives, as well as to understand the relationships among these measures. This research provides ESL teachers and researchers with a robust tool for assessing the lexical richness of ESL language samples and insights into how lexical richness measures may be effectively used as indices of the quality of ESL learners' speaking task performance. (Verlag, adapt.).
Journal Article
English for everyone. English grammar guide
\"A comprehensive visual guide to English grammar with clear, simple explanations that are ideal for learners of all levels,\"--page [4] of cover.
Book
Flipped Learning in the English as a Foreign Language Classroom: Outcomes and Perceptions
Although many educators have recently discussed the positive effects of flipped learning, there is little empirical evidence about whether this approach can actually promote students' English learning. This study was undertaken in four sections of the same College English 1 (E1) course over two consecutive semesters at a South Korean university. A total of 79 students enrolled in the E1 course participated in the study. Of the participants, 39 learned English using a communicative language teaching approach, whereas 40 studied English in a flipped learning manner. Data were gathered from the students' achievements in three major tasks, their responses to three surveys, and the instructor's notes on the students' engagement in the process of their English learning. Findings demonstrate that the students in the flipped classroom achieved higher average scores in their final three tasks than those in the non-flipped classroom, but only the final examination mean score indicated statistical significance. However, surveys indicated that most students in this study seemed to enjoy learning English in a flipped learning environment. Also, the instructor found the students in the flipped classroom to be more engaged in the learning process than those in the non-flipped classroom. Pedagogical implications for effective English teaching are discussed. (Verlag).
Journal Article
Beliefs, agency and identity in foreign language learning and teaching
\"Beliefs, Agency and Identity in Foreign Language Learning and Teaching explores the phenomena of believing (or giving personal meanings), acting, and identifying (or identity construction), and the interconnectedness of these phenomena in the learning and teaching of English and other foreign languages. The authors to take turns in reporting recent studies that are truly longitudinal in their research design, carried out from novel theoretical starting points and with innovation in data collection and analysis. The book contributes to a greater understanding of how learners go about learning and teachers about teaching foreign languages\"-- Provided by publisher.
Book
What Characterizes Comprehensible and Native-like Pronunciation Among English-as-a-Second-Language Speakers? Meta-Analyses of Phonological, Rater, and Instructional Factors
The current study presents two meta-analyses to explore what underlies the assessment and teaching of comprehensible and nativelike pronunciation among English-as-a-Second-Language speakers. In Study 1, listener studies (n = 37) were retrieved examining the influence of segmental, prosodic, and temporal features on listeners’ intuitive judgements of comprehensibility and nativelikeness/accentedness as per different listener backgrounds (expert, mixed, L2). In Study 2, training studies (n = 17) were retrieved examining the effects of segmental, prosodic, and temporal-based instruction on ESL learners’ pronunciation. The results showed that (a) comprehensibility judgements were related to a range of segmental, prosodic, and temporal features; (b) accentedness judgements were strongly tied to participants’ correct pronunciation of consonants and vowels; and (c) instruction led to larger gains in comprehensibility than in nativelikeness. Moderator analyses demonstrated that expert listeners were more reliant on phonological information. Greater effects of instruction on comprehensibility than nativelikeness became clearer, especially when the treatment targeted prosodic accuracy. The findings suggest that ESL practitioners should prioritize suprasegemental practice to help students achieve comprehensible L2 pronunciation. The attainment of nativelike pronunciation, by contrast, may require an exclusive focus on the refinement of segmental accuracy, which is resistant to the influence of instruction.
Journal Article