How Does Station Teaching Effect Language Learning?

Vol.4  No.3

Year : 2014

Issue : Jul-Sep

Title : How Does Station Teaching Effect Language Learning?

Author Name : K. Suprabha, G. Subramonian

Synopsis :

All across the nation, general and special education teachers, English as a Second Language teachers, and other service providers, such as speech-language pathologists from all grade levels and all content areas, are taking the plunge into co-teaching. Station or rotation teaching is a co-teaching strategy that calls for the designing of at least three workstations or learning centers where students rotate in and out in small groups. In a station teaching approach teachers divide the responsibility for planning and content instruction. Students are rotated between three or more stations, also known as centers, which are either managed by a teacher or assistant or are independent stations. Teachers can work together to determine how many stations are appropriate for a given activity. Independent student workstations should include explicit instructions accompanied by teacher monitoring to ensure that learning objectives are met.

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Mortal Imperfection: The Revenge of The Social Animal in ‘Heart Of Darkness’ and ‘Moby Dick’

Vol.4  No.3

Year : 2014

Issue : Jul-Sep

Title : Mortal Imperfection: The Revenge of The Social Animal in ‘Heart Of Darkness’ and ‘Moby Dick’

Author Name : Sumbal Maqsood

Synopsis :

This paper seeks to explore and peek into the psychological hell of the so-called superior beings who in their megalomaniacal intentions make the world a difficult place to live for some groups based on ethnicity, culture, race, religion, and other differences. It looks into the duplicity and double standards of people and the way they exploit a privileged birthright to target and demean other groups exalting themselves as the preferred 'self' over the marginalized 'others'. The sham of superficial, social lifestyles is exposed as the web of morality and a politicized sense of right and wrong is questioned. Power structures that uphold society are based on flimsy differentiations that utilize the principle of 'might is right' as a power hierarchy is established to subjugate and exploit the less-privileged and weaker groups on Earth. This research challenges the subject-object duality and the veneer of civilization that is rampant in the modern world and that views the world in a sharply divided vision of black and white, ignoring the grey shades where the question of individuality, identity and personality arises-the potency of the beliefs of all beings cannot be neglected by imposing labels of 'savages' and 'barbarians'. The act of imposition by the civilized world over primitive groups itself is an act of savagery and this paper would be questioning why man is unwilling to come to terms with his 'other', the part that completes him and defines him, and is an essential part of his evolving personality. The core of evil and primitivity is ineradicable in every being and it is individuality that will control the behavior, not forcefully imposed social constructs. There is a very thin line between what the civilized world calls 'normal' and what it labels as 'savage' as man was essentially born as natural as the wilderness around him, his soul as unfettered as the soaring eagle. This untamed wilderness is man's reality and when he tries to harness it, he transgresses upon values that are inevitably connected with his history, his evolution, his concept of civilization and his superstructure of formal education. Is it really a civilizing, enlightening mission of transforming brutes into human beings or making others as hypocritical and pretentious as the colonizing powers are, at the expense of personal integrity?

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The Effects of Techniques of Vocabulary Portfolio on L2 Vocabulary Learning

Vol.4  No.3

Year : 2014

Issue : Jul-Sep

Title : The Effects of Techniques of Vocabulary Portfolio on L2 Vocabulary Learning

Author Name : Abbas Ali Zarei, Fahimeh Nasiri Baftani

Synopsis :

To investigate the effects of different techniques of vocabulary portfolio including word map, word wizard, concept wheel, visual thesaurus, and word rose on L2 vocabulary comprehension and production, a sample of 75 female EFL learners of Kish Day language Institute in Karaj, Iran was selected. They were in five groups and each group received vocabulary portfolio in one of the aforementioned techniques. Multiple-choice and Fill-in-the-blanks vocabulary tests were used to measure the participants' comprehension and production of the target words. The obtained data were analyzed using two separate one-way ANOVA procedures. Results indicated that in vocabulary production, the differences among the groups were statistically insignificant, suggesting that despite the observed differences among the means, the performances of these groups were more or less similar. However, there was a significant difference between the means of visual thesaurus and the concept wheel groups in vocabulary comprehension.

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Technology-Enhanced Teaching of Pragmatic Competence

Vol.4  No.3

Year : 2014

Issue : Jul-Sep

Title : Technology-Enhanced Teaching of Pragmatic Competence

Author Name : Servat Shirkhani

Synopsis :

Pragmatic competence has been defined as the ability to express and interpret the intended meaning with regard to the context in which the utterance mentioned has been referred to as one of the main components of communicative ability in a second language (L2). However, various studies have indicated that, this ability does not develop in L2 learners along with their linguistic competence. Therefore, it is necessary to think most of the effective ways and resources for the development of this aspect of communicative competence in L2 learners. Different studies have mentioned lack of enough exposure to the L2 in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context and have called for the necessity of instruction of pragmatic aspects of language in these contexts. This study, admitting the need for the instruction of pragmatics, suggests using the available technology to enhance the learning of this ability in language learners. It suggests teachers to guide their learners to use some technological tools which are easy, quick, and available almost everywhere and at any time in order to enhance their development of pragmatics.

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Changing and Changed Stance Toward Norm Selection in Philippine Universities: Its Pedagogical Implications

Vol.4  No.3

Year : 2014

Issue : Jul-Sep

Title : Changing and Changed Stance Toward Norm Selection in Philippine Universities: Its Pedagogical Implications

Author Name : Alejandro S. Bernardo

Synopsis :

This paper reports the results of a survey, which involved college English teachers from three leading universities in the Philippines. The results point to one conclusion – college English teachers now have a changing and changed stance toward norm selection in Philippines Universities. The results give the impression that a good number of college English teachers now seem to gradually depart from native speakers' norms. Put in another way, they progressively place fewer premiums on total compliance with native speakers' models. This changing and changed stance, the author argues, calls for a new pedagogical decision that involves ESL curricular changes.



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“Cyber” Reading in L2: Online Reading Strategies of Students in a Philippine Public High School

Vol.4  No.2

Year : 2014

Issue : Apr-Jun

Title : “Cyber” Reading in L2: Online Reading Strategies of Students in a Philippine Public High School

Author Name : John Angelo V. De Leon, Veronico N. Tarrayo

Synopsis :

This paper seeks to identify the online reading strategies employed by students in a Philippine Public High School. In particular, the study attempts to answer the following questions: (1) What are the online reading strategies used by the respondents (i.e., global, problem-solving, and support)?; (2) What is the frequency of use of the online reading strategies of the respondents?; and (3) What are the implications of the study's findings for English language teaching and learning? By means of the adapted Survey of Reading Strategies (SORS) by Sheorey and Mokhtari (2001), data were obtained from 100 readers of a public high school in Quezon City, the Philippines. The analysis of the results revealed that problemsolving strategies were the most frequently used online reading strategies, followed by global reading strategies and support reading strategies. Finally, the results furnish a pedagogical perspective on how online reading strategies can impact second-language or L2 teaching and learning.

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Prospect of Electronic Media as Curriculum In Non-Native Contexts

Vol.4  No.2

Year : 2014

Issue : Apr-Jun

Title : Prospect of Electronic Media as Curriculum In Non-Native Contexts

Author Name : Juri Dutta, Asima Ranjan Parhi

Synopsis :

In the context of India in general, and places where English language functions as a second language in particular, the prevalent idea that our students have to support their language learning capability through the native accent (pronunciation) structures is a myth. The paper takes up the following hypotheses:

1. Listening to BBC English or Standard English need not be the criteria for good English.

2. Speaking and appropriating the native speech is cumbersome, neo- colonial in approach.

The study takes the objective of developing a learner friendly curriculum that is modeled on the basis of materials from the electronic, and other mass media in non-native contexts. It was proposed that reading all kinds of material instead of the defined, the canonized and formal text books is the pragmatic study in this direction and while writing, the learners could experiment with all kinds of Englishes around without appearing ridiculous.

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Gendered Word (or World): Sexism in Philippine Preschool English Language Textbooks

Vol.4  No.2

Year : 2014

Issue : Apr-Jun

Title : Gendered Word (or World): Sexism in Philippine Preschool English Language Textbooks

Author Name : Veronico N. Tarrayo

Synopsis :

Adhering to the notion that language learning is necessarily a culture-learning process, this paper explores the issue of sexism in six Philippine preschool English language textbooks. The study adopts the qualitative-quantitative approach in examining the following categories: gender visibility (illustrations), “firstness”, occupational-role representations, character attributes, and interests and lifestyles. Data reveal that the textbooks seem to feature both genders; still, the males appeared more frequently than females in the illustrations of the textbooks. In terms of “firstness”, males appear before females more often; this could imply that the textbooks seem to favor males, thus, appearing to be sexist. Also, females are far less visible than men in occupational roles. The occupational roles for females are less diverse and are restricted to stereotypical types of occupation/profession while male occupations show a wider range, thus, providing them with more options than females. Moreover, about the same number of character attributes that is allocated to both genders. Females are usually attributed with their “good” looks and passivity; by contrast, males show aggression, dominance, and activity. In the textbooks analyzed, the number of interests, and lifestyles of females is higher than those of males. However, the females are more particularly represented in indoor activities, i.e., household chores. This paper likewise discusses the implications of the findings on language teaching, and learning.

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Bilingualism – A Sanguine Step in ELT

Vol.4  No.2

Year : 2014

Issue : Apr-Jun

Title : Bilingualism – A Sanguine Step in ELT

Author Name : Beena Anil

Synopsis :

Bilingualism can be used as a teaching aid in teaching and learning English language in an Indian classroom and to improve the language accuracy, fluency, and clarity of learners. Bilingualism can aid the teaching and learning process productively in the classroom. In India, most of the students consider English as a subject rather than a tool of communication. The fear towards English language can be diminished when native and source languages are used comparatively in the classroom. The interest and exposure are the key words for learning a language. Teachers should instill confidence among learners by making the learning process easy and simple. This paper aims at observing and analyzing students' use of bilingualism in various linguistic situations and the process of learning English through bilingualism. The study demonstrates that all learners need a support of the vernacular language in learning English as a second language.

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Impact of Gadget Based Learning Of Grammar in English at Standard II

Vol.4  No.2

Year : 2014

Issue : Apr-Jun

Title : Impact of Gadget Based Learning Of Grammar in English at Standard II

Author Name : Singaravelu G

Synopsis :

The study enlightens the impact of Gadget Based Learning of English Grammar at standard II. Objectives of the study is to find out the learning problems of the students of standard II in Learning English Grammar in Shri Vani Vilas Middle School and to find whether there is any significant difference in achievement mean score between pre test of control group, and post test of control group in Learning English Grammar of the students of standard II in Shri Vani Vilas Middle school at Mannargudi. Equivalent group Experimental method was adopted for the study. The study is confined to 160 students of standard II studying in Shri Vani Vilas Middle school, Mannargudi for 80 students (40 control group+40 Experimental group), and 80 students (40 control group+40 Experimental group) from Gopala Samudram Middle school at Mannargudi. Researcher's self-made achievement test was used as instrumentation for the study. It establishes that the conventional method of teaching is not effective in learning English Grammar at standard II. The main educational implication is that it can be implemented to all other schools.

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An Exploratory Investigation Of Online Forum Mediated Collaborative Learning Of Speech Writing: A Case Study

Vol.4  No.1

Year : 2014

Issue : Jan-Mar

Title : An Exploratory Investigation Of Online Forum Mediated Collaborative Learning Of Speech Writing: A Case Study

Author Name : Dr. Pushp Lata, Suman Luhach

Synopsis :

Learning Management Systems (LMS) are being integrated in the curriculum by many educational institutions to extend teaching and learning beyond classroom. This paper is based on a case study exploring the integration of LMS Nalanda created on Moodle in Effective Public Speaking (EPS) classroom to give students an additional platform to practice, collaborate and discuss speech writing. Out of many teaching learning facilities available on LMS, the researcher chose online forum as a tool for giving additional practice in speech writing. This tool helped in enhancing learner centeredness on one hand and encouraged equal participation of all the group members on the other. The present paper looks at the researcher's observation of the outcomes of the integration process. One of the important finding was that students' interaction on online forums resulted in improvement of students' performance in speech writing. Higher participation, constructive feedback and community of practice resulted enhancement in their speech organising abilities while preparing the speech draft. Vygotsky's Socio-cultural theory which holds active, interactive and collaborative role of learners in the entire learning process has been used as its theoretical basis.

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Effect Of CAI On Achievement Of LD Students In English

Vol.4  No.1

Year : 2014

Issue : Jan-Mar

Title : Effect Of CAI On Achievement Of LD Students In English

Author Name : R. T. Sivaram, Dr. R. Ramar

Synopsis :

The present experimental study was undertaken with three objectives in view, (i) to identify students with language learning disabilities (ii) to develop CAI software to teach LD students through computer-assisted instruction and (iii) to measure the effectiveness of CAI with special reference to LD students. Two matched groups of LD students were constituted for the purpose of this experiment and a normal group comprising average and above average students was also formed in order to assess how far Computer-Assisted Instruction enabled the LD students to cope with normal students. The control group and the normal group were taught through traditional lecture method while the experimental group was taught through Computer-Assisted Instruction. The obtained results show that the computerassisted instruction was more effective than the traditional lecture method in teaching and learning of English with record to the students with language learning disabilities and it enabled the LD students to cope with normal students to a considerable extent.

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Use Of Formative Assessment, Self- And Peer-Assessment In The Classrooms: Some Insights From Recent Language Testing And Assessment (LTA) Research

Vol.4  No.1

Year : 2014

Issue : Jan-Mar

Title : Use Of Formative Assessment, Self- And Peer-Assessment In The Classrooms: Some Insights From Recent Language Testing And Assessment (LTA) Research

Author Name : Oksana Afitska

Synopsis :

A considerable number of studies on formative teacher assessment and feedback, learner self- and peer-assessment have been carried out in the field of Language Testing and Assessment (LTA) research over the last two decades. These studies investigated the above mentioned concepts from different perspectives (impact of assessment on learning, attitudes towards assessment, comparison between teacher and learner assessment practices, types and quality of formative teacher feedback), in a number of different contexts (English as second language classrooms, mainstream classrooms, immersion classrooms, i.e. for mainstream classrooms, teaching and learning is done through the medium of a second or additional language) and in a number of different ways (experimental studies, observational studies, surveys, research review studies). This paper systematically reviews most recent research on formative teacher assessment and feedback, learner self- and peer-assessment, and reveals gaps which have not yet been addressed by research.pose of this paper is to study, the extent of constructivist classroom characteristics that exist in ELT (English Language Teaching) Methodology. It is an attempt to explore the constructivist learning activities and evaluation strategies, whether they are useful to the students and the instructors. This paper elevates the contrast of traditional classrooms and constructivist classroom setup through the pedagogical approach. Multiple strategies for Constructivist Learning are elaborated to enhance student learning. Nevertheless, educators must meet the challenge mandated by reform efforts to produce highest quality of student learning. In order to be effective, educational reforms must be tied to the development of an enhanced curriculum that incorporates authentic assessment practices.

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Constructive Classroom: A Cognitive Instructional Strategy In ELT

Vol.4  No.1

Year : 2014

Issue : Jan-Mar

Title : Constructive Classroom: A Cognitive Instructional Strategy In ELT

Author Name : suneetha yadav

Synopsis :

The purpose of this paper is to study, the extent of constructivist classroom characteristics that exist in ELT (English Language Teaching) Methodology. It is an attempt to explore the constructivist learning activities and evaluation strategies, whether they are useful to the students and the instructors. This paper elevates the contrast of traditional classrooms and constructivist classroom setup through the pedagogical approach. Multiple strategies for Constructivist Learning are elaborated to enhance student learning. Nevertheless, educators must meet the challenge mandated by reform efforts to produce highest quality of student learning. In order to be effective, educational reforms must be tied to the development of an enhanced curriculum that incorporates authentic assessment practices.

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Temperament And Personality: A Mute Struggle For Language Achievement

Vol.4  No.1

Year : 2014

Issue : Jan-Mar

Title : Temperament And Personality: A Mute Struggle For Language Achievement

Author Name : Fatemeh Behjat

Synopsis :

There has always been dissatisfaction by language teachers who observe different levels of achievement with students attending the same language class and taking the same instruction. This variation in attaining the desired level of proficiency can be caused by the learners' personality types. The present study was an attempt to explore the degree to which one's temperament and personality type can influence one's language achievement. To this end, Longman TOEFL Test (2005) was administered to a group of 127intermediate English learners at Marefat English Institute in Shiraz. At the same time, Black Dog Institutes' temperament and personality questionnaire wasadministered. After the instruction, which took about nine months, the remaining 76 students who passed three successive terms at the institute,took the same TOEFL test. The comparison between the students' achievement and their personality types revealed that there is a relationship between the learners' temperament and their language attainment. This implies that taking the same instruction, learners who are more irritable, anxious, personally reserved, and socially avoiding achieve less. On the other hand, learners who are more self-focused, interpersonally sensitive, perfectionist and self-criticizing enjoy a higher level of language proficiency.

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Some Formulas And Methods For The Effective Teaching Of Verbal Concord (In Nonnative English Settings)

Vol.3  No.4

Year : 2013

Issue : Oct-Dec

Title : Some Formulas And Methods For The Effective Teaching Of Verbal Concord (In Nonnative English Settings)

Author Name : Steve Bode Ekundayo

Synopsis :

This paper examines the incidence of verbal concord rule violation in educated Nigeria ESL against the conceptual framework of interference and 'intraference'. Intraference is a coinage for the 'overgeneralization of linguistic material and semantic features' or 'intralingual interference . The paper is basically intuitively theoretical and descriptive. Library research, the Internet, observation and recording of some linguistic events by educated Nigerians were used as sources of data collection. To achieve the effective teaching, learning, and use of verbal concord in ESL and EFL, formula N+s/S+s =V-s or N-s/S-s = V+s is proposed and illustrated with graded steps. The three major steps of the formula are (i) the explanation and application of the formula symbols, (ii) categorized teaching and learning of English plurality and (iii) explanation with illustration of the structural dynamics of English that constrain nonnative users to produce verbal concord errors. This formula may be used to correct concord errors and enhance concord teaching and learning.

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Sociolinguistic Documentation Of Endangered Ethnography Of Communication In Yoruba Language

Vol.3  No.4

Year : 2013

Issue : Oct-Dec

Title : Sociolinguistic Documentation Of Endangered Ethnography Of Communication In Yoruba Language

Author Name : Anthony Ayodele Olaoye

Synopsis :

The ethnography of communication, particularly of greetings, among speakers of some Yoruba dialects is the major concern of this paper. The author observed that the much-cherished, rich culture of greetings, among Yoruba, which the author grew up to know, by linguistic globalization and modernization is being eroded fast. The study and documentation of the sociolinguistic structure of greetings is both anthropological and ethnographic because greetings, as part of Speech Act, belong to the domain of language and culture. Describing language behavior observed daily in different cultures is the purview of an ethnographer. A detailed comparison of greetings among speakers of three Yoruba dialects (Igbomina, Ijesa, Ijebu) can no longer be regarded as a compulsive desideratum, because documentary linguistics is now seen as a salvage work. Therefore, our work is therefore that of data collection, organization, transcription, translation, and interpretation of the morph-syntax and semantics of greetings in the three dialects. The rationale for the study is based on our belief that since language is rooted in a speech community, in its history and culture, each language or dialect is unlike any other language, hence no data can be regarded as the same. By the same token, linguistic data are not easily replicable. Because data from extinct dialects are not easily replaceable, documenting greetings in these dialects will make them accessible to others, thus saving them from gradual extinction.

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Investigating ESL Students' Academic Performance In Tenses

Vol.3  No.4

Year : 2013

Issue : Oct-Dec

Title : Investigating ESL Students' Academic Performance In Tenses

Author Name : Muhammad Javed, Atezaz Ahmad

Synopsis :

The present study intends to assess the ESL students' performance in tenses at secondary school level. Grade 10 students were the target population of the study. A sample of 396 students (255 male and 141 female) was selected through convenience sampling technique from the District of Bahawalnagar, Pakistan. A test focusing on five different types of tenses namely present indefinite tense, future indefinite tense, past perfect tense, present perfect tense, and past indefinite tense was developed carefully. SPSS version XX was used to analyze the data. Students' overall performance was computed. T-value was calculated to compare the mean scores of male and female, public and private, and urban and rural students. The findings of the study revealed that the overall mean score of the students was relatively better in present indefinite tense, future indefinite tense, and past indefinite tense as compared to the mean scores of past perfect tense, and present perfect tense. The analysis, based on t-value, revealed a significant difference between the mean scores of male and female students and public and private school students. Contrarily, no significant difference between the mean scores of rural and urban school students was found. The students were recommended improving their competence in weaker areas.

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The Language Of Entertainment News Is A Serious Business

Vol.3  No.4

Year : 2013

Issue : Oct-Dec

Title : The Language Of Entertainment News Is A Serious Business

Author Name : Tatjana Marjanovic

Synopsis :

An essentially qualitative structural and semantic analysis is performed on the text of an 'American Idol' coverage posted th on yahoo.com January 24 , 2013, constituting a micro-corpus of 2,739 words. Since such stories feature entertainment laced with a shot of drama and scandal, most of us share similar expectations as to what packaging their contents will come in: in short, we anticipate relatively informal language and simple structures. However, a preliminary analysis of the story reveals at face value, a fair amount of both phrasal and clausal complexity, with modification embedded at different levels of structures under investigation. Moreover, not only do the structures appear morphologically and syntactically complex, but their semantic representations also add to this diversity. While providing too much detail at word, phrase and clause level can easily lead to information overload. It also makes a clever tactic helping to transform a basically frivolous event into a top story of the day. It seems to be an attempt to ascribe relevance and newsworthiness to an affair that is nothing more than entertainment, but the aforementioned strategies almost make it look like a serious business.

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Humanism In The Foreign Language Classroom

Vol.3  No.4

Year : 2013

Issue : Oct-Dec

Title : Humanism In The Foreign Language Classroom

Author Name : Servat Shirkhani, Danesh Ardeshir

Synopsis :

Humanistic principles emphasize the importance of the individual and specific human needs. Humanism in education has been in concern during the last few decades. However, there are controversies as whether to use its principles in foreign language classrooms or not. The present paper provides an overview of the major assumptions underlying humanism as well as different emphases of it. In general, most literature on humanism is concerned with its relation to education, this paper use the implications of the contributions of humanism to education in explaining the way humanism can contribute to foreign language teaching. In addition, areas of difficulty that are faced when trying to put humanistic values into practice in the classroom, are described. Next, an important point is given regarding criticisms against humanism in language teaching. Finally, the paper discusses whether it is better to use or not to use humanism in foreign language teaching.

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Vietnamese Learners' Ability To Write English Argumentative Paragraphs: The Role Of Peer Feedback Giving

Vol.3  No.4

Year : 2013

Issue : Oct-Dec

Title : Vietnamese Learners' Ability To Write English Argumentative Paragraphs: The Role Of Peer Feedback Giving

Author Name : Dr. Lap Q. Trinh, Cao Hoang Yen

Synopsis :

The nature of peer feedback and its impacts on writing in English has attracted much attention of researchers and educators. Recent studies have indicated various types of peer feedback and its positive effects on writing development. This paper presents the results of an investigation into the nature of peer feedback and its effects on learners' writing argumentative essays in a Vietnamese context. The study aimed to explore the types of feedback which competent and less competent learners employed when they reviewed their peers' argumentative paragraphs. The study also aimed to measure the effects of one's giving feedback on their ability to write argumentative paragraphs. The study followed a two-group experimental research design with the participation of twenty-four English learners at preintermediate level of English. Four instruments were used in the study: the worksheet for peer feedback to elicit learners' comments to peers' argumentative paragraphs, the writing tests to examine learners' ability to write argumentative paragraphs before and after the treatment, the feedback coding scheme to code learners' comments and the assessment scale to evaluate learners' argumentative paragraphs. The results showed that both competent and less competent learners generated different types of peer feedback when commenting on their peers' argumentative paragraphs. In addition, the extent to which competent and less competent learners used the types of feedback was the same. Remarkably, giving feedback enhanced the mechanics component of learners' argumentative paragraphs.

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The Role Of Language In National Re-Branding: A Sociolinguistic Perspective

Vol.3 No.3

Year : 2013

Issue : Jul-Sep

Title : The Role Of Language In National Re-Branding: A Sociolinguistic Perspective

Author Name : Anthony Ayodele Olaoye

Synopsis :

Language, whether indigenous or foreign, is a marker of identity. The language that a man speaks, the names he bears, the songs he sings, the tribal marks on his cheeks, his country's national anthem, coat of arms and national flags are symbols of personal and national identity. Language education policy, which shapes a man's global and local view and perspective, is instrumental in any national rebranding project. The author posits that there is a correlation between indigenous language and national rebranding project. Language is the shaper of ideas, and dissects nature along lines laid down by our language. In support of this theory of cultural relativism and linguistic determinism, the author posits that the rebranding of a nation can only be achieved through a rebranded language policy, and a well planned and implemented multi-lingual education system. Transformation agenda, in any nation, is best accomplished through the utilization of indigenous languages and literature. The author believes that the battered image of Nigerians and Nigeria can be redeemed by indigenous literary works which are rebuttals of the obnoxious negative branding of Nigerians. National rebranding has the objective of re-orientating Nigerians to imbibe a new spirit of patriotism, a new spirit of abhorring or shunning corruption and following the rule of law. The author has proved that the role of Mother Tongue, and andragogical or political education can rebrand Nigeria. The Federal, State and Local Governments therefore have a role to play. These change agents must also work hand-in-hand with parents, traditional rulers, opinion leaders, religious leaders and educational institutions for an effective rebranding enterprise.

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Evaluation Of English Results Course Books At Upper-Intermediate Level

Vol.3 No.3

Year : 2013

Issue : Jul-Sep

Title : Evaluation Of English Results Course Books At Upper-Intermediate Level

Author Name : Eshrat Bazarmaj Haghi

Synopsis :

The importance of the course books in language teaching leads the way to the evaluation of them. Evaluating the teaching materials specially course books can help teachers to understand more about language learning. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate English Results course books which are widely used at Iranian institutes. The focus of the study is on the course books used at advanced lined and evaluating their physical make-up, practical concerns and different sections of them namely vocabulary, reading, grammar, language functions and pronunciation practice.100 teachers from six different institutes participated in the study and completed the questionnaire which was prepared by Hashemi and Rahimpour (2011) for textbook selection and evaluation in EFL context. Results revealed that the course books were generally regarded as appropriate materials. Finally, several suggestions were mentioned for adding to the quality of the course books.

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Technical Communication - The Need And The Demand Of Global World

Vol.3 No.3

Year : 2013

Issue : Jul-Sep

Title : Technical Communication - The Need And The Demand Of Global World

Author Name : Dipika Patel

Synopsis :

The present world is known as Hi-tech world as it is driven by technology. It is the vehicle to get access with this modernized world. However, due to continuous changes taking place in the field of technology, people keep looking for new developments for improving the quality of teaching and learning methodologies. In the fast developing 21st century various innovative technologies are being introduced to teach English in the classrooms. To cope up with this modern trend, communication skills become an essential component in the education of technical students to facilitate not just student's education but to prepare them for their future careers. We have to use modern technologies to teach English to the technical students. The present paper deals with the nature and characteristics as well as the significance of technical communication in various fields, the availability of various technologies as well as the practical uses and benefits of it in technical communication.

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Improving The Reading Attitudes Of College Students: Using Literature Circles To Learn About Content Reading

Vol.3 No.3

Year : 2013

Issue : Jul-Sep

Title : Improving The Reading Attitudes Of College Students: Using Literature Circles To Learn About Content Reading

Author Name : carianne bernadowski

Synopsis :

Literature circles and book clubs have become a popular instructional literacy strategy. In recent years, educators attempt to motivate students to read more in quantity and quality at an early age. A case study design was utilized that required undergraduate education majors to participate in literature circles reading historical fiction and engaging in the literature circle as if they were young children themselves. This engagement included attending weekly meetings with peers, writing in a reflective journal, and partaking in all aspects of a literature circle typically found in intermediate, middle and high school classrooms. A pre and post survey was distributed to one section of an undergraduate course engaged in literature circles, and their journey was documented in a self-reflective journal retained over the semester. Observations were also used to corroborate and triangulate data. Results indicate that literature circles increased university students' engagement with text and commitment to the classroom community.

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Language As A Power Positioning Tool: National Open University Of Nigeria (Noun) English Course Materials As Genderised Examples

Vol.3 No.3

Year : 2013

Issue : Jul-Sep

Title : Language As A Power Positioning Tool: National Open University Of Nigeria (Noun) English Course Materials As Genderised Examples

Author Name : Iyabode Daniel

Synopsis :

Language is a means of identity formation, definition and construction. This study investigates the language of NOUN course materials for gender neutrality. The English course materials randomly selected across subject areas in the English programme are used as data source. The theoretical base of corpus linguistics within the frame work of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) is used to investigate the phenomenon of gender based choices of NOUN course writers to the end of determining their unconscious political stance in the gender politics. Frequency count of the occurrences of the gender pronouns ‘he, she and they’ are analysed in twenty-three course materials. Line graph and pie charts are constructed based on the collected data. It was found that the gender pronoun ‘she’ is subsumed to the gender pronoun ‘he’ in terms of frequency of usage. Even where it appears that attempts have been made to employ gender sensitivity through a wide usage of the gender neutral ‘they’, it is found that many of the writers that seem to do this are also those that used the male pronoun the most, thus leaving a state of identity indeterminateness in terms of power positioning. It is recommended that NOUN needs to enforce the actualisation of its policy statement on the issue in order to undermine the hegemonic tendencies through determined inclusiveness.

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Effectiveness Of Mutual Learning Approach In The Academic Achievement Of B.Ed Students In Learning Optional II English

Vol.3 No.3

Year : 2013

Issue : Jul-Sep

Title : Effectiveness Of Mutual Learning Approach In The Academic Achievement Of B.Ed Students In Learning Optional II English

Author Name : Dr. Evangelin Arulselvi

Synopsis :

The present study aims at finding out the effectiveness of Mutual learning approach over the conventional method in learning English optional II among B.Ed students. The randomized pre-test, post test, control group and experimental group design was employed. The B.Ed students of the same college formed the control and experimental groups. Each group consists of 25 learners. The 't' test analysis reveals the experimental fact that mutual learning has effectiveness in learning English better than the conventional method. There is a wide scope for the application of mutual learning approach in learning English among B.Ed students.

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