Smartphones to Learn English: The Use of Android Applications by Non-English Major Students in West Aceh

Smartphones multi-functionality and practicality features are very promising in helping students to learn English language. Numerous applications related to English enables the students to be exposed to English and learn independently and conveniently outside the classroom. This study explored students own use of android applications to help them in learning English. Specifically, it investigated the types of apps the students use, examined their motives in using the apps, and figured out how the apps were perceived to help in acquiring English. The study was conducted as a qualitative study involving 15 non-English majors students recruited from three different campuses in West Aceh. The data were collected through personal interview and focus group discussion that were transcribed and analyzed by coding and concluding the information into a number of themes. It was found that the students had used a number of android apps, particularly dual language dictionary apps to support their informal English language learning. The apps were considered very helpful as the students could access vocabulary and be exposed to English frequently. Easy access and practical use of apps were perceived as the major advantages benefiting the students in gaining vocabulary and other English learning materials to develop their English language skills

FACEBOOK: BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN CLASSROOM ENGLISH AND REAL WORLD READING FOR NON-NATIVE LEARNERS OF ENGLISH

Facebook, a social networking website, is used as a global multi-purpose cyber board in a variety of fields such as education, politics, entertainment, science, and business. Utilizing this easily accessible website in the EFL (English as a Foreign Language) or in the ESL (English as a Second Language) learning scenario could be crucial for the development of integrated English skills for EFL learners. From the researcher’s teaching experience, EFL classroom reading materials are limited to commercial textbooks or selected reading articles based on instructors ’ interests. In order to promote extensive reading and strengthen reading skills, EFL learners should expose themselves to authentic reading outside the classroom and be provided with alternative sources of English learning materials. Based on the popularity of Facebook, this study therefore aimed to encourage extensive reading by employing the website as a cyber forum for EFL undergraduate students, who then shared their reading topics and their reflections on applying classroom reading strategies to reading English in real world contexts with other Facebook members. This eventually led to the main research question: To what extent did EFL undergraduate students develop their extensive reading on Facebook? The study methodology was designed for qualitative, action research conducted with a group of 3

A look at the advanced learners' use of mobile devices for English language study: Insights from interview data

[EN] The paper discusses the results of a study which explored advanced learners of English engagement with their mobile devices to develop learning experiences that meet their needs and goals as foreign language learners. The data were collected from 20 students by means of a semi-structured interview. The gathered data were subjected to qualitative and quantitative analysis. The results of the study demonstrated that, on the one hand, some subjects manifested heightened awareness relating to the advantageous role of mobile devices in their learning endeavors, their ability to reach for suitable tools and retrieve necessary information so as to achieve their goals, meet their needs and adjust their learning of English to their personal learning styles, and on the other, a rather intuitive and/or ad hoc use of their mobile devices in the classroom.Kruk, M. (2017). A look at the advanced learners' use of mobile devices for English language study: Insights from interview data. The EuroCALL Review. 25(2):18-28. doi:10.4995/eurocall.2017.7461SWORD182825

The Role of Massively Multiplayer Role-Playing Games in Facilitating Vocabulary Acquisition for English Language Learners: A Mixed-Methods Study

Slow vocabulary development and poor comprehension among English Language learners (ELLs) (August, Carlo, & Snow, 2005) have resulted in an academic achievement gap between ELLs and native English-speaking learners in the United States (Klingner, Artiles, & Barletta, 2006; Wilde, 2010). This mixed-methods sequential explanatory research aims to help narrow the academic gap by providing increased engagement and interaction opportunities to ELLs. In this study, I replicated and extended Bourgonjon et al. (2010)’s study identifying the predictive factors of students’ acceptance for using video games in the classrooms. A sequential qualitative study with 11 selected participants was conducted to explain how the factors, tested in the first quantitative phase of study, facilitate ELLs’ vocabulary growth. I triangulated the results of the two phases and the discussion of the findings to answer my research questions. Based on the data collected from 371 participants via a web-based survey, I tested the reliability and validity of the adapted survey scale items using inter-item correlations, factor analysis, and internal consistency reliability tests. Then, I formulated and validated path models to test the hypotheses related to relationships among variables. Results from the analysis concluded that the factor of perceived learning opportunity is an important predictors for players’ preference for using MMORPGs in the L2 English classroom. The follow-up qualitative study aims to explain why certain factors identified in the first phase were significant predictors that impact players’ preference to use MMORPGs to obtain L2 English vocabulary. Evidence shows that game texts and social interactions are major learning opportunities provided by MMORPGs. I expect that this study, along with further research in this area, will help teachers integrate MMORPGs or related game mechanics into their regular instruction to provide increased engagement and interaction opportunities to English language learners

The Process Of Using Online Dictionary By The Student In Learning English Vocabulary At Eleventh Grade Student Of SMK Swasta Prama Artha Jaya Kab Simalungun

English vocabulary is the collection of words consist of nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and prepositions that an individual knows. The researcher choose English vocabulary as the activity of the student in this research because English vocabulary is very important, without vocabulary exercise, there is no speaking, listening comprehension, reading, and writing developments. This research was aimed describing how is the process of using an online dictionary by the student in English vocabulary learning at eleventh grade student of SMKS Prama Artha Kab Simalungun. The method used in this research was descriptive qualitative research which analyzed the data in the word form. The researcher conducted in the eleventh grade student of SMKS Prama Artha Jaya Kab Simalungun which consist of a student as informant, four student as supporting informant, and a teacher as supporting informant. The data were obtained from observastion, interview, and documentation. This study collected some important information from the student about the learning English vocabulary process. In this research, the researcher has been analyzed the data through theory by Miles and Hubberman (1992: 20) about collecting the data, reducing the data, displaying the data and drawing conclusion. In the learning process that has been done by the student, there are several activities that has been done by the student such as respecting the others, obidience, curiosity, ability measuring, learning assistent, independent learning, respondibility, comprehensive understanding, and motivation to memorize. As a learning assistant, an online dictionary was helpful for the student in English vocabulary learning process. The used of an online dictionary also help the student to increase her vocabulary mastery

Extensive Reading on Wattpad and Its Benefits to Students' English Skills: Students' Perceptions

The purpose of this study was to explore students’ perception’s towards Extensive Reading on Wattpad platform as well as its benefits to students’ English skills. Extensive Reading enables students to read a great deal amount of reading materials based on their personal interests and level of comprehension which is actually applied outside the class room for most people consider it as reading for pleasure. It has also been known that Extensive Reading has many benefits in improving students’ language skills. The advancement of technology over the years allows people to do many activities online, including Extensive Reading activity. Thus, Wattpad is considered to have enormous and various reading materials that can support extensive reading for the students. This study is a case study. The data were obtained from an in-depth interview with the participant who were two undergraduate students majoring English Education from a state university in Indonesia. The participants were selected purposively for the reason they were known to have been doing extensive reading activity on Wattpad for a quite long time, specifically for more than three years. The research findings showed that students have positive perceptions towards Extensive Reading on Wattpad which are categorized into three elements namely cognitive, affective, and conative. Four notable benefits of Extensive Reading on Wattpad were also mentioned by the students such as it contributed in unconsciously improving students’ writing skills, vocabulary mastery, speaking skills, as well as listening skills

Translation students' use of dictionaries: a Hong Kong case study for Chinese to English translation

The use of the dictionary and translation are both common language experiences. The dictionary is an indispensable tool to translating. Yet dictionary skills are grossly neglected in translator training, which assumes that students have acquired all the necessary knowledge and skills before training. In order to reveal the situation in Hong Kong, this case study attempts to investigate the dictionary use pattern of 1 07 translation students from five local universities for Chinese to English translation, and the dictionary consultation process of four respondents. Triangulation methods were employed: questionnaire survey, interview, think-aloud protocol, and performance exercise. A coding system for think-aloud protocols has be~ adopted from Thumb (2004), with modifications for Chinese-English dictionary use for production. Results found that most of the respondents had not been trained to use the Chinese-English dictionary, and that they had difficulties in using it for Chinese to English translation. Curricular assessment discovered a gap between student needs in dictionary skills and the curriculum. Pedagogical recommendations are made, and the notion of Dictionary Use Competence is proposed for translation students, while dictionary skills should be treated as a ·Iearning strategy across the curriculum from the primary to university levels. The study contributes to the teaching and learning of dictionary skills, with special relevance to Chinese-English translation, and to the research on dictionary use for production in terms of the language combination of Chinese/English, and to the method of introspection

Students\u27 perceptions of the use of peer-to-peer ESL text chat: An introductory study

Thousands of international ESL students come to the United States every year to learn English for the purpose of matriculating into an American university. Teaching these diverse students can be a challenge for educators and despite the students significant investment of time and money, many of them are inadequately prepared for the demands of university work. Text chat has been studied by some scholars as a means of assisting ESL students to write more effectively. However, greater understanding is needed of the affective experiences and perceptions of students toward peer-to-peer ESL text chat. That is the thrust of this study, which utilized Livemocha, a free international text chat program. Several striking findings were made, two of which were that all students reported enjoyment of the text chat experience and all students reported increased confidence to write in English as a result of their participation in the research. This study draws heavily on the sociocultural theory of Lev Vygotsky, especially his theories of the zone of proximal development and perezhivanie. His work illuminates the findings of this study and the study also demonstrates the vitality of Vygotsky\u27s thought in the 21 st century. In addition to providing insight into students\u27 perspectives on peer-to-peer ESL text chat, a valuable tool to increase students\u27 confidence to write in English has been made known.\u2

Academic Reading and Writing at the College Level: Action Research in a Classroom of a homogeneous Group of Male Students from Saudi Arabia

This thesis is the culmination of two years of working with and teaching English composition to primarily international students from Saudi Arabia whose first language is not English. For the purposes of this study, I will identify students whose first language is not English as English Language Learners (ELLs). I have decided to use this term because in many cases, English is not a student’s second language but their third or fourth. The research for this study uses a mixed methods and action research framework and was conducted in my English 101-SL (Second Language) class during the Winter of 2014 at Eastern Washington University (EWU). However, reflections from my time teaching English composition both before and after the Winter Quarter 2014 are also included along with sample activities, study guides, and writing prompts. The study focuses on the Essay Exam unit of the English 101 curriculum and my efforts at teaching academic reading and writing. As this research uses a theoretical framework of constructivist grounded theory, it addresses the researcher/instructor in the first person and includes student voices in the form of journals, questionnaire responses, and sample essays. Three sets of journal responses are included within these pages and will largely be allowed to speak for themselves with minimal analysis on my part. In the tradition of critical ethnography, this allows for the student participants and researcher to be co-constructors of meaning and, in part, co-creators of this thesis

Blog-assisted language learning for collaborative learning in a second language extensive reading program

Generally, English as a second language (ESL) students avoid using English during face-to-face interaction. In-class discussions often do not provide equal opportunity for them to participate as these discussions are dominated by active and competent students. In extensive reading program, students use journals to write reflection and the audience is merely their teacher. However, the literature shows that there are limited studies on the use of blogs as a group journal in L2 extensive reading program. Thus, this study used blogs as a platform for students to collaborate, discuss and share their knowledge on a given topic. The objectives of this study are to explore the nature of students’ interaction and their interactional patterns in their blogs when they were supervised face-to-face and virtually. The participants consisted of 20 secondary school students from a suburban school in Kelantan, Malaysia. They read the reading materials, held group discussions and posted comments in their respective group blogs. The students chose the reading materials from the library during face-to-face interaction whereas during virtual interaction, they searched for their own materials and from the blogs outside the school. The students’ blog posts were analyzed using Florida State University Online Assessment Tool and Bales Interaction Process Analysis in 2002. A survey and interviews were administered to elicit the students' responses on the use of blogs in an extensive reading program. The findings indicated that the students participated more during virtual supervision compared to face-to-face supervision. However, they easily diverged from the task during virtual supervision. The use of blog encouraged the students to interact in English. The findings also indicated that students’ personalities influenced their participation in blog discussion. This study provided evidence that students’ involvement in choosing their own reading materials and the use of blogs as a platform to learn collaboratively created opportunity for them to share ideas in English freely. These findings have pedagogical implications on the use of blog for teaching and learning English as a second language