Thesis
The Usefulness of Guided Feedback in a WebÂBased IELTS Reading Programme for Arab Learners
The use of WebÂbased materials for language learning has increased tremendously over the past decade. Many institutions make use solely of preÂexisting WebÂsites that may or may not have been designed specifically with language learners in mind, while others also utilise the skills of their teaching staff or of outside experts in order to create materials which target the specific needs of their students.
EFL EXAMINATION WASHBACK IN JAPAN: INVESTIGATING THE EFFECTS OF ORAL ASSESSMENT ON TEACHING AND LEARNING
The influence a test has on teaching and learning is commonly referred to as the ‘washback effect’. It is often argued that English examinations in Japan, which tend to be heavily grammar-orientated, have a negative washback effect on teaching and learning. The areas of writing and speaking are of particular concern as both tend to be assessed via indirect testing methods. This study, then, examines the effects of existing English tests in Japan and also proposes an original direct test of speaking, which is subsequently trialled in a sample learning context. An attempt is then made to determine the extent and nature of washback resulting from this new speaking test.
Using STAD in an EFL Elementary School Classroom in South Korea: Effects on Student Achievement, Motivation, and Attitudes Toward Cooperative Learning
There is a large body of research supporting the positive effects of cooperative learning, not only on student academic achievement, but also on other important factors such as student motivation, student relations (including group skills and acceptance of lower level students) and liking of school. A form of cooperative learning known as Student Teams Achievement Division (STAD) developed by Robert Slavin and his colleagues, is the most heavily researched cooperative learning approach, and has produced positive effects across a wide range of grades and subjects.
CRITICIZING AND RESPONDING TO CRITICISM IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE: A STUDY OF VIETNAMESE LEARNERS OF ENGLISH
Interlanguage pragmatics research has contributed a great deal to our understanding of L2 pragmatic use but less to our understanding of L2 pragmatic development, although developmental issues are also its primary research goal. Additionally, previous studies have been confined to a rather small set of speech acts, under- researching such face-damaging acts as criticizing and responding to criticism even though these may be more challenging for L2 learners.
AN ANALYSIS OF CHINESE EFL LEARNERS BELIEFS ABOUT THE ROLE OF ROTE LEARNING IN VOCABULARY LEARNING STRATEGIES
This study sets out to investigate Chinese EFL learners beliefs about the role of rote learning (RL) in vocabulary learning strategies. The focus of the study is Chinese EFL learners culturally-influenced beliefs about their preference for RL strategies as opposed to other memory strategies (MSs). Based on the literature, there is a widely held belief that Chinese EFL learners rely on RL and that they are passive learners.
Textbook Evaluation and ELT Management: A South Korean Case Study
ELT materials (textbooks) play a very important role in many language classrooms but in recent years there has been a lot of debate throughout the ELT profession on the actual role of materials in teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language (TESL/TEFL). Arguments have encompassed both the potential and the limitations of materials for ‘guiding’ students through the learning process and curriculum as well as the needs and preferences of teachers who are using textbooks.
TEXTBOOK EVALUATION AND ELT MANAGEMENT: A SOUTH KOREAN CASE STUDY
ELT materials (textbooks) play a very important role in many language classrooms but in recent years there has been a lot of debate throughout the ELT profession on the actual role of materials in teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language (TESL/TEFL). Arguments have encompassed both the potential and the limitations of materials for ‘guiding’ students through the learning process and curriculum as well as the needs and preferences of teachers who are using textbooks.
The Influence Of Situation On Languages Of Cooperation: How Movie Language Coding Influences Audience Cooperation In Japan
There have been several different models of human behavior proposed in cross-ethnic and cross-cultural situations. In particular, culture dimensions and linguistic prestige models have been the focus of considerable research. Traditional research has often searched for a means of maximizing the differences between experimental conditions and in developing scales that measure significant differences between ethnic groups and cultures.
