EXPLORING THE TERTIARY EFL STUDENTS' ACADEMIC WRITING COMPETENCIES

For tertiary English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students, academic writing is not an easy task. It requires knowledge of the academic writing genres with their particular linguistic features. Moreover, academic writing demands good critical thinking. This research aims to explore the students' academic writing competencies that also focus on critical thinking. The research involved thirty-six first-year tertiary EFL students from a regular class of a private university in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, Indonesia. The source for data collection was the students’ texts. Three texts were selected and the students were categorized into low, medium, and high levels of writing achievement. The text analysis utilized functional grammar rooted in systemic functional linguistics (Emilia, 2014). The analysis shows that the students, regardless of their levels of writing achievement, have little control over the schematic structure and linguistic features of an argumentative writing. The text analysis also shows that the students’ texts have some limitations as regards their critical thinking capacity. Still, a few examples of academic language were detected in the texts. The findings suggest that the lecturer should incorporate explicit teaching and cooperative learning activities to alleviate the students' difficulties and develop their academic writing and critical thinking capacity

INVESTIGATION OF LOADED FIBROUS FILTER

This paper presents results of theoretical and experimental investigations of the effect of dust deposition on filter performance. In the theoretical model, the filter is divided into elements of various structural characteristics and the effect of fibers and deposited particles on pressure drop and collection efficiency is considered. In the suggested model, the part of the deposited particles increases the diameter of fibers, the rest form dendrites. Two dimensional flow fields in inhomogeneous filter mat are described by the continuity equation and Darcy equation. In order to obtain a clear idea about the effect of dust load on pressure drop and filter efficiency experimental investigations of clogging process in filter mats were performed where the temporal change of pressure drop and grade efficiency were measured. Theoretical and experimental results indicate that due to deposited particles the collection efficiency of filters increases rather rapidly with loading because the previously deposited particles offer additional collection surface. Deposited particles increase also the pressure drop across the filter by additional drag to gas flow. Calculations of streamlines through inhomogeneous filter mat indicate that deposited particles increase the uniformity of the flow field. The comparison of the results of calculation and experimental data on temporal change of collection efficiency and pressure drop shows considerable agreement

Calculation of the binding energy and scattering cross sections of the three-nucleon system

Imperial Users onl

The degradation and analysis of lubricating oil in diesel engines.

Investigations into lubricating oil degradation and engine wear were carried out during the course of this work. Lubricating oil degradation models were studied and verified. This study has resulted in the development of an integrated, miniaturised, automated oil analysis system for the determination of water content, Total Base Number and Total Insoluble Matter for new and used oils. The study on the engine wear and oil degradation was based on two air- cooled Petter AA1, single cylinder engines running on a 1% sulphur diesel fuel and a minimum military specification oil (OMD 75). The results obtained indicated that the combination of engine operating conditions, diesel fuel and lubricating oil used, resulted in the premature loss of oil consumption control due to severe bore polish which was caused by corrosive wear. Oil analysis methods were developed requiring minimal quantities of oil sample in order not to disturb the engine/lubricating oil system integrity. The oil analysis methods developed were automated into a single integrated instrument for the determination of water content, Total Base Number and Total Insoluble Matter for new and used oils using 1gram (or less) of oil sample and with analysis times in the region of three minutes for doing all three analysis. A detailed study into new and used formulated oil chemistry revealed that the measurement of Total Base Number as determined by the Institute of Petroleum standard test methods (IP 177 and IP 276) provided information that were overestimates of the true levels of basicity of the oil. A new technique, based on the same chemistry as the original (IP) method, was developed for the Total Base Number determination with improved end-point detection for not only new oils, but more importantly for used oils as well. Other oil analysis data obtained during this study revealed the need to modernise the existing Industry test methods with regard to chemistry, equipment and functionality, for example Total Acid Number determination. The data obtained from the analysis of the used oil was studied and the rates of change of each of the measured parameters were calculated, based on the Quasi-Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor model. The data obtained from this model was compared to . two previously proposed models which indicated that the QCSTR model is a better model for representing the degradation of lubricating oils in running engines. This work has shown the need for the trapping of oil from the top-ring zone to understand the nature of the degradation and interaction of this oil with that (bulk) oil in the sump in order to successfully model the degradation characteristics of the oil

Cultivation effects on nitrification in potato soils

1978 Summer.Covers not scanned.Includes bibliographical references.Nitrification rates were found to be less rapid in newly tilled potato soils than in aged cultivated soils. Studies were undertaken to determine what factor or factors were responsible for the slower nitrification rates. Aged cultivated and virgin soils were obtained from various locations and compared in residual mineral nitrogen content, nitrification rates and in bacterial populations. Total residual mineral nitrogen content (ammonium and nitrate) in aged cultivated soils was usually higher than that in virgin soils. To compare nitrification rates, aged cultivated and virgin soils were enriched with 0, 50 and 100 ppm ammonium nitrogen and incubated at 24° C for 0, 10 and 21 days. Nitrification rates were consistently lower in virgin soils than in aged cultivated soils. Also, nitrification was higher in soil samples collected in June than in those collected in December. Determination of soil bacteria (Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter) was done by the most probable number method. Population of Nitrosomonas in virgin soils ranged from 260 to 460 cells per gram in virgin soils and from 7,200 to 35,000 in cultivated soils. Correspondingly, Nitrobacter in virgin soils ranged from 45 to 78 and in cultivated soils from 4,100 to 35,000. The lower rate of nitrification in virgin soils was attributed to the low bacterial population. The presence of a nitrification inhibitor in virgin soils produced by native vegetation was not considered probable. In one experiment where various amounts of aged cultivated soil were mixed with virgin soil the nitrification rates in the latter increased in proportion to aged cultivated soil added. This may not have occurred if nitrification inhibitors were present

Literature Teaching in EFL Context: Some Issues and Dilemmas

Using literature instruction practices in different “literature programs” as a point of departure, this article discusses some knotty issues and dilemmas confronting English literature instructors and researchers in Indonesia, especially those working in the context of English as A Foreign Language (EFL). First some commonly adopted approaches to literature teaching are outlined and specific issues and dilemmas located. Next, using the Indonesian current situation as a case in point, these perceived issues and dilemmas are fleshed out and possible solutions from diverse fronts are then sketched out

TOWARDS MULTILINGUAL EDUCATION: PRE-SERVICE ENGLISH TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF TRANSLANGUAGING PEDAGOGY

Recent research has shown a paradigm shift towards the rise of translanguaging pedagogy as opposed to the so-called monolingual principles. Translanguaging pedagogy in educational contexts refers to the utilisation of all the linguistic and semiotic resources of students to foster learning. This crosslinguistic approach, thus, challenges language separation and softens the boundaries between languages. Translanguaging is also seen as a transformative pedagogy as it empowers multilinguals to embrace their whole repertoires. This present study involved the pre-service English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in an Indonesian private university taking the English language teaching programme designed to prepare them to be future English teachers. This research aimed to investigate their perceptions of translanguaging pedagogy in order to promote reflections in pre-service English teachers regarding their own views of English language teaching. Six pre-service English teachers were invited to participate in a group interview to shed light on future teachers’ reflective stance regarding the potential use of translanguaging pedagogy. The research results demonstrated that the participants held the maximal position, which put a strong emphasis on maximising the use of English. They, however, expressed their interests in the implementation of translanguaging pedagogy in their own classrooms, but solely for a scaffold to learn rather than seeing it as opportunities to create a safe space for students to legitimate their multilingual dynamic practices

Teaching English as a Foreign Language in Indonesian Schools in the Reform Era: What Do Teachers Have to Say?

Confronted with ever-changing policy and practical demands teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in Indonesia have to do a very unique priority setting in order to develop survival strategies which are unlikely required by their counterparts working overseas. The purpose of this article is to discuss EFL teachers’ experiences in teaching English in Indonesian schools in the reform era. First, a historical sketch is presented which provides background to the contextual demands confronting EFL teachers both at policy and practical levels. Second, an analysis is conducted based on the context of situation in order to locate the core of teachers’ roles within the changing context. Next, discussion is presented on the basis of comments made by different groups of teachers on their experiences working within a system fraught with conflicting demands: how the teachers cope with the problems and what strategies they use to survive working in the system. Based on results of this analysis fundamental issues are located and a room for improvement is created relative to the needs for concerted efforts to ensure that teachers get the support they deserve to discharge their professional duties within the system. Last, suggestions are presented to provide a better support system for teachers’ professional development so that the profession of Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) proliferates as expected

Policies on language education in Indonesia

This article discusses policies on language education in Indonesia by covering six major sections. The linguistic make-up and history of languages currently spoken in the country are first introduced as the background to the discussion.  Then, building on the background factual information on the language education policies once adopted in Indonesia, a review and critical discussion regarding the design, implementation, and evaluation of the language education policies in the country are put forward. This is then followed by an elaboration of how currently adopted language education policies position different languages and what status and roles each language is accorded, and how these statuses and roles compare with English. Afterward, a prediction for the future status and role of the relevant languages under discussion is brought to light. Finally, a conclusion is made, accompanied by suggestions for further reading which will enable enrichment of knowledge-base on relevant aspects of policies on language education in Indonesia