Willingness to communicate in relation to language use among Pakistani undergraduates: A sociocultural perspective

This study aimed to investigate English as a second language (ESL) undergraduates’ sociocultural perspective of willingness to communicate (WTC) in English inside the classroom in relation to language use outside the classroom. The participants were 440 ESL undergraduates selected through the cluster sampling method from eight universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province in Pakistan. The data were collected through questionnaires on WTC in English inside the classroom and language use outside the classroom. The findings revealed that the participants’ level of WTC in English was high for most social interactions within the classroom, such as in groups, during activities, with the same gender, and when given preparation time in groups. The findings for language use showed that a mixture of languages, such as Pashto and Urdu, was predominantly used in the family, neighbourhood and friendship, religion, education, and transaction domains. In contrast, English was primarily used in the mass media and social media domains. Moreover, the findings revealed that WTC in English inside the classroom was positively correlated with social media, mass media, transaction and education domains but negatively correlated with the family domain

Effects of PWIM in the ESL classroom: vocabulary knowledge development among primary Malaysian learners

The present quasi-experimental study examined the impact of pictures, via a modified version of Emily Calhoun’s (1999) Picture Word Inductive Model (PWIM), on the English vocabulary acquisition of Malaysian Year 1 pupils in a rural national primary school. Meara and Buxton’s (1987) Yes-No Recognition Test (YNRT) was adapted and further tested for reliability to measure the recall and retention of subjects’ vocabulary size. A total of 60 subjects participated in the research, comprising two intact classes; one class formed the Experimental group and the other formed the Control group. The former underwent the intervention while the latter received typical classroom instruction. Results gleaned from independent samples t-tests revealed superior vocabulary scores at the posttest and delayed posttest levels by the Experimental group, denoting greater vocabulary knowledge recall and retention that reflects the effectiveness of the intervention in enhancing vocabulary acquisition among young Malaysian learners. This study and its findings are of significance to English language teachers, curriculum designers, policy makers, and scholars engaged in ESL/EFL research. It is also noteworthy that there exists a paucity with regards to in-depth research on the use of images for language learning among young learners, particularly within the Malaysian context

Menjalani kitaran penuh sebagai pensyarah universiti

Lazimnya, pengalaman seorang ahli akademik sama ada pahit atau manis hanya diceritakan dari mulut ke mulut. Pengalaman-pengalaman berharga ini amat jarang dihimpunkan menjadi sebuah buku yang berbentuk motivasi dan perkongsian. Justeru, buku ini dihasilkan bagi mendokumentasikan kisah suka duka para pensyarah dari Malaysia dan Indonesia sepanjang proses pembelajaran, pengajaran dan kehidupan mereka. Dalam buku ini terdapat 23 karya penulisan yang menarik oleh para pensyarah dari pelbagai institusi pengajian tinggi di Malaysia dan Indonesia yang diharapkan dapat menjadi inspirasi dan tauladan yang baik kepada para pembaca khususnya mereka yang bercadang untuk menjadi seorang ahli akademik pada masa akan datang. tiga bab utama yang menjadi asas perkongsian dalam buku ini termasuklah tentang kerjaya, diri sendiri, keluarga dan rakan (bab 1), pengalaman belajar di luar negara (bab 2) dan dilema dan cabaran (bab 3

English as a second language (ESL) teacher brain-based learning classroom practices and perceptions in Malaysian schools

The brain is a complex organ and plays a crucial role in the learning process. The aim of this study was to examine English as a Second language (ESL) secondary school teachers' perceptions and actual practices using Brain-Based Learning (BBL) to teach the English literature component among low ability learners. Employing a qualitative design, six teachers from three public schools were observed and later interviewed once over a duration of six weeks. The data analysis revealed that their practices were generally positive; active learner engagement and meaningful learning. However, there were issues related to the learners’ limited ESL proficiency