Examining Comprehension Strategy-Use Via Thinking Aloud and Comprehension Via Retelling: A Comparative Study of Proficient and Less Proficient ESL Readers at Matriculation Level

The aim of this study is to describe comprehension strategy-use and comprehension of ESL readers in the Science Matriculation Programme of Universiti Pertanian Malaysia. The nine proficient and eleven less proficient ESt readers of this study were selected based on their scores in a Test of Reading Skills. The use of comprehension strategies during reading was ecited via thinking - aloud procedures. The product of reading, comprehension, was assessed via oral retelling. The idea unit sin there telling protocols w ere compared with the content structure analysis of the think - aloud text to find out the percent age and kinds of idea units recalled. The think - aloud and retelling protocols were transcribed and analyzed

Grammatical errors in spoken english of University students in oral communication course

The present study examines the grammatical errors in spoken English of university students who are less proficient in English. The specific objectives of the study are to determine the types of errors and the changes in grammatical accuracy during the duration of the English for Social Purposes course focussing on oral communication. The language data were obtained from the simulated oral interactions of 42 students participating in five role play situations during the 14-week semester. Error analysis of 126 oral interactions showed that the five common grammar errors made by the learners are preposition, question, article, plural form of nouns, subject-verb agreement and tense. Based on Dulay, Burt and Krashen’s (1982) surface structure taxonomy, the main ways by which students modify the target forms are misinformation and omission, with addition of elements or misordering being less frequent. The results also showed an increase in grammatical accuracy in the students’ spoken English towards the end of the course

Malaysian English: Exploring the Possibility of Standardization

The notion of Malaysian English in relation to the concepts of standard English and language standardization is explored. An overview of the development of varieties of English spoken in Malaysia is discussed and the factors involved in language standardization such as the role of codifying agents in regulating the use of Malaysian English, the status of Malaysian English as a "New English", the need for a standardized variety of Malaysian English and the linguistic complexity of Malaysian English are examined. Of the three varieties of Malaysian English, namely, Malaysian English Type I, Malaysian English Type 11 and colloquial Malaysian English, Malaysian English Type II has the potential to develop into a widely accepted variety of Malaysian English. Nevertheless, the possibility of Malaysian English being standardized is still remote due to the limited need for a standardized variety of Malaysian English as the reference model in language teaching, and its early stage in the process of language standardization. Further and on-going descriptive studies on Malaysian English are needed

Assessment for Effective Lecture on Knowledge Retention towards Student Learning with Web-based Educational Tools

This study assessed the effective lecture for knowledge retention towards student learning. The survey involved 42 university students (fourth year in Chemical Engineering and Sustainability Energy Department, UNIMAS) where all of them were tested before and after the class through a 10 questions quiz as assessment. From this quiz assessment, only 50% (21 students) of the students managed to answer at least 7 questions correctly before the lecture was delivered. After delivering lecture, 100% (42 students) of the students managed to answer 10 questions correctly. However, after four weeks, only 90% (38 students) of the students managed to score 10 questions correctly due to short knowledge retention

Variable impact of Malaysia’s national language planning on non-Malay speakers in Sarawak

The study examined the impact of the national language policy on the language use of three main ethnic groups in the Malaysian state of Sarawak. The data analyzed was based on a sociolinguistic survey on language use in six domains that involved 937 Malay, Chinese and Iban adolescents from three major towns in Sarawak. The results showed that the use of Bahasa Malaysia exceeded English usage for all three ethnic groups, showing the success of compulsory education in the national language. However, the language planning has greater impact on the Iban than on the Chinese who are shifting away from the ethnic languages of the Chinese sub-groups to Mandarin Chinese. The availability of an alternative standard language with international standing which also functions as a symbol of cultural solidarity compromises the impact of the national language policy

ETHNIC IDENTITY VIS-À-VIS OTHER-GROUP ORIENTATION OF ETHNIC CHINESE IN MALAYSIA

The study examined the ethnic identity and other-group orientation of ethnic Chinese in Malaysia. The data were collected from 504 Chinese respondents (252 students, 252 parents) using Phinney’s (1992) Multiethnic Identity Measure. The results showed that the parents had a stronger ethnic identity than their children (parents, M=2.91; children, M=2.78). For both groups, the mean scores for affirmation and belonging were the highest among the four ethnic identity components, and the ethnic identity achievement mean scores were the lowest. The results indicate that the Foochow Chinese respondents had a foreclosed identity, whereby they have made a commitment to their ethnicity without extensive exploration of the meaning of belonging to their ethnic group. Gender and socio-economic background have significant effects on strength of ethnic identity but not Chinese-medium education. The findings suggest that the Chinese are moderating their ethnic identity but their positive other-group orientation is far from the level of cultural adaptation that is required for assimilation

Strategy Diaries: Learner Perspective on the Benefits of Communication Strategy Training

This study examined learner perspectives of the benefits of communication strategy training by analysing strategy diaries written by low English proficiency learners enrolled in an English for Occupational Purposes programme. The communication strategy instruction involved 23 students who were taught 13 lexical, negotiation, and discourse-based communication strategies during the 13- week training. Each session consisted of presentation, rehearsal, and performance stages, and closed with strategy diary writing. The students wrote 117 strategy diary entries related to the learning outcomes of the training sessions. Most diary entries (82.9%) were on English improvement, and the remaining (17.1%) were related to communication strategy use. Further analysis of the strategy-related entries indicated the communication strategies taught during the training helped the students to better explain themselves, increase their vocabulary, and speak more spontaneously. A longitudinal analysis of one student’s diary entries revealed that the student did not develop greater awareness of communication strategies during the training. When the subject matter of the interaction became more technical, his reflection shifted from communicative and language skills to the topic of the lesson and activities. The findings suggest the need to train learners on reflective writing to obtain insights into the learner perspective of learning to use communication strategies

Fluency and communication strategy use in group interactions for occupational purposes

Communication strategy use varies with proficiency in the target language and less proficient learners rely on L1 strategies for conversational repair. In an English for Occupational Purposes (EOP) context where the technical register is unfamiliar, little is known on whether communication strategies can enable learners with limited English proficiency to overcome hesitancy in speech. The study examined learners’ use of communication strategies and fluency in group interactions in an EOP context using an integrated problem-solving, interactional and discourse-based framework of communication strategies. A 13-week communication strategy training was conducted focusing on conversational repair strategies (fillers, approximation, code-switching), meaning negotiation strategies (clarification request, comprehension check, confirmation check), response strategies (rephrase, shadowing, reply) and discourse-based strategies (lexical repetition, topic fronting). The results on communication strategy use in three group interaction sessions involving three participants showed that the most frequently used communication strategies were lexical repetition and fillers. The participants’ fluency, as measured in C-units and frequency of fillers, was higher when they interacted on familiar topics. The participants learnt to use discourse-based strategies but not meaning negotiation strategies. The findings suggest that for better negotiation of meaning, the communication strategy training needs to create metacognitive awareness of the interlocutors’ communicative needs