Malaysian ESL Teachers’ Beliefs and Practices Regarding the Use of Music and Songs in Second Language Teaching

Regardless of numerous studies supporting the effectiveness of utilizing music and songs in second language teaching, there is a remarkably limited amount of research investigating how music and songs are actually used by language teachers and the beliefs underpinning their practices, particularly in the Malaysian educational context. This qualitative study explored Malaysian ESL teachers’ beliefs and practices with regard to the use of music and songs in language instruction at different levels of education as well as factors influencing their instructional practices. The research participants consisted of five primary-level, five secondary-level and five tertiary-level ESL teachers working at public and private educational institutions, who were selected using purposeful sampling strategy. Data were gathered through individual semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Miles and Huberman’s (1994) framework for qualitative data analysis. Findings of the study indicated the ESL teachers from all three levels of education held overall positive beliefs about the benefits and appropriateness of music and songs as a teaching tool and utilized them in various ways to promote students’ language learning. A number of factors were found to influence the teachers’ use of music and songs in their classrooms. The findings of the study have implications for various educational stakeholders

The effects of tasks on language-related episodes (LREs) during focus-on-form instruction

This paper discusses the effectiveness of using two task-types, dictogloss and opinion-gap tasks, in focus-on-form lessons to elicit language-related episodes (LREs) and produce modified output. The participants were 40 Form 6 students in a Malaysian secondary school in two intact classes. One group was taught using opinion-gap tasks and the other using dictogloss tasks. Results show that almost double the number of LREs was elicited in the dictogloss group compared to the opinion-gap group. However, more than 50% of the LREs in both groups were unresolved or wrongly resolved. These results imply the need to train learners to notice linguistic errors and engage in negotiations of form and meaning and could also indicate the need for teacher feedback on language use, perhaps during pre-task and post-task activities. The types of linguistic errors learners focused on might be an indication of learner developmental readiness which could influence task and text selection

Conceptual underpinnings of focus-on-form in task-based language teaching

Task-based language teaching (TBLT) which is often viewed as the strong version of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is gaining burgeoning interest as an approach to second language (L2) learning. However, many L2 researchers are concerned that the heavy focus on meaning and communication is insufficient for learners to achieve native-like language competence. Thus, researchers have proposed the use of focus-on-form in TBLT, where linguistic problems are dealt with as and when the need arises. This paper provides a conceptual basis for the need to use focus-on-form in TBLT in the L2 classroom

A Literature Review on Cooperative Learning to Improve EFL Students’ Learning Motivation

Purpose:  The gender-related research discrepancy makes it clear that understanding why cooperative learning effectiveness differs by gender is one of the goals of the current study. Another goal is to investigate the changes in grade-level-based supportive knowledge effectiveness.   Theoretical framework: . A collection project's success is the outcome of the aids made by the participants and the guiding principles that they are all committed to. It may be difficult to include individual contributions in the evaluation and appraisal of the group's overall effort. Second, students with diverse backgrounds may have a range of cultures, values, worldviews, and life experiences.   Design/methodology/approach: A successful educational method that supports such an method is supportive knowledge, which consists of “some related methods of organizing classroom instruction to achieve common knowledge goals via cooperation”. This method to knowledge is based on the idea that individuals actively choose, change, and interpret the information.   Findings:  As a result, they can settle disputes, make required changes, and eventually provide superior results. All learners can benefit from cooperative learning after these conditions have been satisfied, with certain variations owing to particular learner traits. The findings of this study provide educators with more empirical support for the use of effective interactive teaching techniques to boost student motivation and enhance learning outcomes.   Research, Practical & Social implications:  Recent research has demonstrated that training based on constructivism and collaborative principles affects learning results in a variety of academic areas.   Originality/value:  The outcomes of cooperative learning will be more likely and the findings will be more reliable. The gender-related research discrepancy makes it clear that understanding why cooperative learning effectiveness differs by gender is one of the goals of the current study.

Effects of task complexity and types of negotiation on language-related episodes in ESL classrooms

While the use of pedagogical tasks to encourage learner-learner interaction has gained recognition in promoting interlanguage development, the ways in which language forms are dealt with during these interactions remain underexplored. This study addressed the noticing of gaps in language use while dealing with tasks which are reflected by the negotiation of meaning and negotiation of form that occurred. Employing classroom-based research, this study investigated the effects of task reasoning demand and type of negotiation on frequency of language-related episodes (LREs). The grammatical items that learners focused on during their interactions were also identified and tabulated. A repeated-measures design was adopted. The participants were 76 pre-university students randomly assigned into four groups. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and repeatedmeasures ANOVA. Results indicate that there was a significantly higher number of LREs with negotiation of meaning as opposed to negotiation of form in the task with the high reasoning demand as opposed to the task with the low reasoning demand. The current research also shows that certain grammatical features were problematic for learners across both tasks. The results have implications on the utilization of tasks for L2 learning to optimize focus on meaning and form in learner-learner interaction

Relationship between learner motivation and perceptions of an e-learning platform among undergraduates

This study investigated the relationship between learner motivation and perceptions of an e-Learning platform among undergraduates in a university in Malaysia using the university’ e-Learning platform, PutraBLAST. 125 respondents were selected from undergraduates in the Faculty of Educational Studies. Data were collected using a questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data. Findings from the descriptive analysis showed that respondents were moderately motivated when using PutraBLAST. Respondents were also satisfied with the e-Learning environment using PutraBLAST. A moderate positive relationship was found between motivation and perceptions of the e-Learning platform (r = 0.632). This study suggests for the need to incorporate features in PutraBLAST that would enhance motivation as it is positively correlated to perceptions of the e-Learning experiences using the e-Learning platform

The effectiveness of using a tracker chart to enhance willingness to communicate among ESL learners in a philosophical inquiry classroom discussion

There has been burgeoning interest among researchers in investigating Willingness to Communicate (WTC) as part of the instructional method in a Philosophical Inquiry (PI) Discussion. The present study investigated the effectiveness of using a tracker chart in a PI classroom discussion to promote WTC. The participants were 30 undergraduate students in a public university in Malaysia. A WTC questionnaire was administered before and after the intervention. A tracker chart was used to gauge the number of learner responses that occurred throughout the 8-week intervention. Interview sessions with seven randomly selected participants were then carried out to gauge the learners’ perceptions of using the tracker chart in PI Discussions and its effects on their WTC. The data analysis showed that the tracker chart resulted in increments in the number of responses throughout the 8 weeks, and participants reported that the tracker chart had positive effects on their WTC as they were more conscious of their responses and contributions in the PI Discussions. The t-test result also showed a significant difference in the participants’ levels of WTC which indicates that the use of the tracker chart in PI Discussions helped increase the participants’ WTC. The results indicate that the use of a tracker chart could have positive effects in enhancing learners’ WTC in PI Discussions

The influence of test preparation programs on IELTS test performance among Bangladeshi students' studying in Malaysia

Test preparation programs namely coaching, mock tests, and repetitive test-taking aid students in achieving language skills and comprehending the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test procedure. This paper attempted to find out the influence of test preparation programs on candidates’ IELTS test performance. A quantitative method was used, and an online questionnaire survey was conducted to obtain the data. The population of the study was the Bangladeshi students at Universiti Putra Malaysia. Probability sampling, specifically simple random sampling techniques were used to draw the sample. Data were collected from a total of 100 students, and SPSS was employed to analyze the data. The finding showed that mock test (r = 0.450), coaching (r = 0.496), and repetitive test-taking (r = 0.369) have a positive and moderate correlation with IELTS test performance. In contrast, the mock test, coaching, and repetitive test-taking have 23.4%, 35.3%, and 21.3% influence on IELTS test performance, respectively. This study has implications for candidates’ teaching and learning opportunities for competitive English language test programs. Furthermore, it will deliver a diverse viewpoint on the preparation programs and show their effectiveness for future reference. This study can be used as a guideline for future research to improve test preparation programs for better test performance

The influence of test preparation programs on IELTS test performance among Bangladeshi students’ studying in Malaysia

Test preparation programs namely coaching, mock tests, and repetitive test-taking aid students in achieving language skills and comprehending the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test procedure. This paper attempted to find out the influence of test preparation programs on candidates’ IELTS test performance. A quantitative method was used, and an online questionnaire survey was conducted to obtain the data. The population of the study was the Bangladeshi students at Universiti Putra Malaysia. Probability sampling, specifically simple random sampling techniques were used to draw the sample. Data were collected from a total of 100 students, and SPSS was employed to analyze the data. The finding showed that mock test (r = 0.450), coaching (r = 0.496), and repetitive test-taking (r = 0.369) have a positive and moderate correlation with IELTS test performance. In contrast, the mock test, coaching, and repetitive test-taking have 23.4%, 35.3%, and 21.3% influence on IELTS test performance, respectively. This study has implications for candidates’ teaching and learning opportunities for competitive English language test programs. Furthermore, it will deliver a diverse viewpoint on the preparation programs and show their effectiveness for future reference. This study can be used as a guideline for future research to improve test preparation programs for better test performance

The effects of visual input and text types on the listening comprehension of EFL students in China

In recent years, there has been an interest in using visual input in multimodal applications for language learning. However, the effects of visual input in listening materials remain to be discussed. Past literature has shown no unified answer to the effects of video input in improving listening comprehension scores. Since there are many proposals for the diversified reform of English teaching methods, it is worth examining whether using traditional audio listening only or using different video inputs can bring more significant benefits to students. The subjects of this study are 30 non-English majors in Chinese universities. This paper applied the quantitative research method, testing students’ performance using different listening visual inputs (content, context, and audio only) and different listening text types (monologue and dialogue). Data were analysed using the two-way repeated measures within groups ANOVA. The interaction effects and the main effect of variables on listening performance were examined to explore the impact of visual input and text types on English listening comprehension. The following conclusions are drawn from the data analysis: (1) The interaction effect shows that video and text types significantly affect students’ listening scores. Videos that contain authentic listening scenes and content elements are beneficial to promote listening comprehension as they support students’ interpretation and understanding of what they hear, and (2) It was noted that grouping students by listening proficiency and examining their cultural background would expand the study in the future