Volume 13 Issue 3
Taking an Ecological View to Research Taiwanese EFL Students’ English Literacy Learning
This study aims to illustrate in what ways an ecological view of literacy, espoused in the New Literacy Studies, can be applied in the field of English Language Teaching in EFL learning contexts. We weave research areas of literacy as social practice, student learning in higher education, and L1 and L2 student writing. Following a qualitative multiple case study approach, we combine in-depth interviews with supplementary methods including questionnaires, reading tasks, students‘ written assignments in English, and observation notes to investigate the two particular Taiwanese EFL undergraduates‘ literacy learning.
Secondary EFL Students’ Perceptions of Native and Nonnative English-Speaking Teachers in Japan and Korea
This survey study explores Japanese and Korean secondary school students’ perceptions about their native English-speaking teachers (NESTs) and nonnative English-speaking teachers (NNESTs), concerning their competence in the target language and in language teaching, cultural and personal traits, teaching styles, and the classroom atmosphere the teachers establish. The purpose of the study was to examine and extend previous studies’ findings concerning the characteristics of NESTs and NNESTs.
Second Language Learners and Their Self-confidence in Using English: A Social Constructive Perspective
This paper examines how self-confidence is socially and discursively constructed through the qualitative analyses of the lived experiences of two Chinese advanced learners/users of English in Australia with data obtained from in-depth interviews. Built on sociocultural views on L2 learning and Norton‘s (2000) conception of self-confidence as being socially constructed, the learners‘ senses of confidence are shown to be strongly influenced by external factors such as power relations in specific contexts of interaction.
The Effect of Paraphrasing Strategy Training on the ReadingComprehension of College Students at the Undergraduate Level
Metacognitive strategy instruction is currently garnering much attention as an effective means of enhancing reading comprehension. This study examined the effect of Paraphrasing Strategy Intervention, based on the model proposed by Schumaker, Denton, and Deshler (1984). A sample of 63 students majoring in English was selected from three colleges in India.The effect of this instruction was measured by the students‘ performance in reading comprehension.
Contrastive Rhetoric: Inflation, Verbal Voices and Polyphonic Visibility in Learners and Native Speakers’ Academic Writing
This study seeks to explore the use of inflation and over-assertion devices, verbal voices and polyphonic visibility in L2 learners’ and native speakers’ academic writing. For specific contrastive goals, special attention has been paid to hedges and downtoners. Deliberate attempts have been made throughout the paper to uncover the reasons underlying the deviation in L2 learners’ use of the target language features. The database for the study consists of two equal-sized corpora, namely, the Interlanguage Corpus of Arab Students of English and a similar size from the Louvain Corpus of Native English Essays.
Do teachers reap what they sow? A study of young ESL learners’ perception of what is learned in an English lesson
When teachers plan their lessons, they usually have certain objectives in mind. The objectives may state what they intend to teach or what they hope their learners will learn at the end of the lesson. Research in English as a second language (ESL) classrooms has shown conflicting perceptions of teachers and learners on what has happened or what is considered prominent in their shared classrooms (Allwright, 1988; Allwright and Bailey, 1991; Nunan, 1989; 1995; Breen, 2001; Benson 2001).
The strategic needs of Iranian students in reading literary and non-literary texts: A dialogic approach
The current study sets out 1) to investigate the strategic needs of participants in reading literary and non-literary texts; and 2) to shed light on the differences of reading literary and non-literary texts. To achieve this aim, thirty participants read three literary and two nonliterary texts and wrote down the questions for which they could not find any answer.
L2 Students Use of Rhetorical Consciousness Raising Instructional Materials in Writing Research Articles
This study proposes to explore L2 undergraduate use of three types of rhetorical consciousness
raising instruction (RCRI) materials during the process of research writing. These instruction
materials are schematic structure, rich language features, and text. All the participants received
the RCRI in class through extensive instruction on each type of the RCRI materials.
Washback of National Matriculation English Test on Students’ Learning in the Chinese Secondary School Context
Tests play a powerful role in the Chinese educational system, and exert significant washback on students’ learning. This study investigates the washback effect of the high-stakes National Matriculation English Test (NMET) within a Chinese high school from the students’ perspective. It considers, in particular, the washback effect on the process and product of learning from the standpoint of reading strategies and skills.
Becoming a Counsellor: Between Belief and Behaviour
The preparation of out-of-class learning not only focuses on advice to learners about how to take
responsibility for their own language learning, but also involves helping teachers to become
aware of their roles in guiding learners towards autonomy. Self-access centre use represents one
means for students to engage in out-of-class learning.
