scholarly journals EFL Learners’ Beliefs and Practices on Informal Digital Learning of English beyond Classroom

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 198-212
Author(s):  
Arif Nugroho ◽  
Yunika Triana
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Learning Activities ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
Learning Context ◽  
Beliefs And Practices ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Digital Devices

ABSTRACTThe present-day English language learning is characterized by educational potentials of digital technology for informal learning context. However, research examining EFL learners’ characteristics on self-directed use of digital devices for language learning remains a paucity of evidence. Addressing this current issue, the present study aims to shed some light on English language learners’ beliefs and practices on informal digital learning of English beyond classroom. A total of 117 Indonesian EFL learners participated in this study through a 5-point Likert-scale survey and semi-structured interview. The results revealed the disparity between the EFL learners’ beliefs and practices on informal digital learning of English. These EFL learners surely believed that informal digital learning activities could significantly enhance the target language skills, but they slightly engaged in digital learning activities beyond the classroom schedule. The results of semi-structured interviews further delineated that use of native languages in their social circle relationships and limitations of the digital devices used became particular reasons for this circumstance. The results contribute to the realm of English language teaching to reach the possible synchronicity between teacher-designed in-class and out-class digital learning activities and students’ language learning styles and preferences to achieve the success of target language learning.ABSTRAKPembelajaran bahasa Inggris masa kini bercirikan potensi pendidikan teknologi digital untuk konteks pembelajaran informal. Namun, penelitian yang meneliti karakteristik pelajar EFL tentang penggunaan perangkat digital secara mandiri untuk pembelajaran bahasa masih tetap kekurangan bukti. Mengatasi masalah saat ini, penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menjelaskan keyakinan dan praktik pembelajar bahasa Inggris tentang pembelajaran digital informal bahasa Inggris di luar kelas. Sebanyak 117 pelajar EFL Indonesia berpartisipasi dalam penelitian ini melalui survei skala Likert 5 poin dan wawancara semi terstruktur. Hasilnya mengungkapkan perbedaan antara keyakinan dan praktik pelajar EFL pada pembelajaran digital informal bahasa Inggris. Pembelajar EFL ini pasti percaya bahwa kegiatan pembelajaran digital informal dapat secara signifikan meningkatkan keterampilan bahasa target, tetapi mereka sedikit terlibat dalam kegiatan pembelajaran digital di luar jadwal kelas. Hasil wawancara semi-terstruktur lebih lanjut menggambarkan bahwa penggunaan bahasa asli dari hubungan lingkaran sosial mereka dan keterbatasan perangkat digital yang digunakan menjadi alasan khusus untuk keadaan ini. Hasilnya berkontribusi pada ranah pengajaran bahasa Inggris untuk mencapai kemungkinan sinkronisitas antara kegiatan pembelajaran digital di dalam dan di luar kelas yang dirancang guru dan gaya dan preferensi belajar bahasa siswa untuk mencapai keberhasilan pembelajaran bahasa target.  

scholarly journals A Study of Language Anxiety among English Language Learners in Saudi Arabia

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Badia Muntazer Hakim
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Language Anxiety ◽  
Self Awareness

Classroom anxiety is a recurrent phenomenon for language learners. There are various factors that cause language anxiety, the most common of which include learners’ excessive self-consciousness and self-awareness concerning their oral reproduction and performance and their peculiar, and quite often misplaced and mistaken, views and beliefs regarding different approaches. Other potential reasons for this problem could include the fear, and the consequent deterrence occasioned thereof, of encountering difficulties in language learning, specifically learners’ individual problems regarding the culture of the target language and the varying social statuses of speakers. The most important fear is, perhaps, the deterrent fear of causing damage to one’s self-identity. Therefore, while needing to paying special attention to language learners’ anxiety reactions, language teachers have a crucial role in helping their students achieve the expected performance goals in the target language. Another factor that could potentially lead to language anxiety is simply the poor command of the target language. This problem could be attributed to linguistic barriers and obstacles language learners encounter in learning and using the target language. In the current study, using a qualitative, semi-structured interview and the focus-group discussion technique, the researcher aims to investigate the factors that contribute to language anxiety among Arab language learners. It focuses on learners both within the classroom setting and without, i.e. in the social context, and recommends a number of approaches to manage and overcome this problem.

scholarly journals Investigation of Factors Influencing Speaking Performance of Saudi EFL Learners

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 66-77
Author(s):  
Saleh Alrasheedi
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Psychological Factors ◽  
English Language ◽  
Peer Pressure ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Affective Factors ◽  
Speaking Performance ◽  
Speaking Skills

Equal focus needs be placed on teaching all four basic skills of language learning: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. However, it is observed that due attention is not devoted to developing speaking skills in Saudi EFL learners; this task is especially challenging as English is not widely used or spoken in their day-to-day communication. The current study aims to investigate the psychological factors which affect learners’ speaking performance by: (a) examining the strategies learners use for developing speaking skills, (b) identifying obstacles confronted by learners in developing speaking skills, and (c) suggesting ways to facilitate the acquisition of English speaking skills. The research seeks answers to these questions: (1) What are some psychological factors affecting speaking skills of students? (2) Why do learners find speaking in English so difficult? . I distributed a questionnaire among 200 female and male participants majoring in various fields at Majmaah university in Saudi Arabia. I employed SPSS to analyze the accumulated data and displayed the results in descriptive tables. The results reveal that affective factors impacting students’ performance in speaking skills are shyness, peer pressure, anxiety, and fear of making mistakes. Other factors that hinder speaking performance are paucity of necessary vocabulary, lack of exposure to the target language, and scarce opportunities to practice speaking outside the classroom. The study contributes to the existing English language learning (ELL) literature through its focus on the affective factors impacting speaking performance in Arabic-speaking EFL learners.

scholarly journals ENGLISH LEARNING BASED ON MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCE IN TYPE OF LINGUISTIC INTELLIGENCE

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 41
Author(s):  
Agrissto Bintang Aji Pradana
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Multiple Intelligence ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Learning Activities ◽  
Multiple Intelligence Theory ◽  
Physical Motion ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
Motivation To Participate

This study aims to describe the application of English language learning based on Multiple Intelligence Theory on the type of linguistic intelligence and student responses in following the learning of English. This research is a descriptive research, conducted in Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Muhammadiyah Special Program Kartasura. Respondents in this study were principals, English language teachers, and 34 students. Data were collected through interview (semi-structured interview), observation, and questionnaire. Data were analyzed by step (1) data reduction; (2) data display; (3) verification. The results revealed that the students as a whole showed a positive response to the learning activities. As many as 88.2% of students have motivation to participate in learning activities, 82% interested in the material, and 79% like English subjects. In conclusion that students showed high intensity of physical motion almost resembles the characteristics of students with kinesthetic and naturalistic types and apply different concepts.

scholarly journals Motivation toward English Language Learning among Students of Different Fields of Study: A Case of Iraqi University Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 139-151
Author(s):  
Raed Latif Ugla
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Learning Activities ◽  
English Language Learning ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
Fields Of Study

This study aims at identifying motivation toward English language learning among students ofdifferent fields of study. More specifically, it tries to identify the two types of motivation (integrative/ instrumental) among those students and also the preferred activities used by them. This study is qualitative and quantitative, which uses two types of instruments: a questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. In the survey, there are 150 responses collected from the participants who answered the questionnaire questions. In the interview, the researcher interviewed three participants. The results of this study show that the students of different fields of study were motivated instrumentally rather than integratively. Finally, the results also indicate that the participants identified different learning activities.

scholarly journals Contextual Factors, Bilingualism and English Language Learning among a Group of Primary School Pupils in Nigeria

2013 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 86-98
Author(s):  
Nkechi M. Christopher
Keyword(s):  
Primary School ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Second Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Contextual Factors ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Motivation To Learn ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
Learning Situation ◽  
Primary School Pupils

Contextual factors impinge directly and indirectly on second language learning through its influence on attitudes towards, and motivation to learn, a language among learners of a target language. This paper describes language learning situation, bilingual behaviour and academic performance of some primary school pupils. It suggests that learners’ independent use of digital and literacy activities could be harnessed for multimodal teaching where digital learning facilities have not been provided by the school. The researcher believes that such inclusion would encourage autonomous and collaborative learning among students; empowering learners to take responsibility for their own language learning – an attitude toward learning that would enable them overcome low English proficiency levels in the larger society.

scholarly journals EFL teachers� beliefs and practices about digital learning of English

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 304
Author(s):  
Arif Nugroho ◽  
Ira Mutiaraningrum
Keyword(s):  
Technology Use ◽  
English Language ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Beliefs And Practices ◽  
Teachers Beliefs ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Teachers Professional Development

The last two decades have been the witness of many studies reporting the disparity between EFL teachers� beliefs and practices in technology integration around the world. Notwithstanding the enormous studies on EFL teachers� beliefs and perceptions of digital technology use for language classroom, the literature has still been silent on the relation between Indonesian EFL teachers� beliefs and practices. The present study thus sheds some light on 15 EFL teachers� beliefs and practices about digital learning of English in Indonesia. Drawing on data from the written reflections and semi-structured interviews, the findings revealed that these EFL teachers were well equipped with the importance and objective of teaching English by means of digital devices, but appeared hesitant and lacked of preparation in their teaching practices. The semi-structured interview further depicted that their unconfident and lack of preparation was not only a result of inadequate training but also of limited resources and digital facilitation. The institutional supports influenced by environmental readiness also affected their efficacy for digital learning of English. The findings contribute to the realm of English language teaching with regards to offering literature of EFL teachers� professional development.

scholarly journals The Role of Social Media (YouTube and Snapchat) in Enhancing Saudi EFL Learners' Listening Comprehension Skills

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-54
Author(s):  
Wed Nasser Al Harbi
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Listening Comprehension ◽  
English Language ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Comprehension Skills

Despite of the importance of listening in EFL learning and teaching, this skill is not getting as much attention as other skills. Therefore, learners are less motivated to depend on their listening comprehension as a tool to help them in the process of language learning. Social media, especially YouTube and Snapchat, can be effectively used as a pedagogical tool to enhance the listening skills of EFL learners, compared with other traditional audio recording tools. The objective of this research is to investigate the role of social media (YouTube and snapchat) as a method of teaching, in order to enhance EFL Saudi learners' listening comprehension skills. The primary goal of this study is to know whether social media is capable of developing EFL listening comprehension skills, and gaining the deeper understanding of the presented materials. In addition, using these tools makes them familiar with the target language culture and it's native speakers. In order to achieve this objective; the researcher used a mixed method to ensure the research validity: a questionnaire and a post-test.The participants of the study were 50 female students studying in English Language Centre at Taif University. They were randomly selected and they divided into two groups: the experiment group consisted of 20 female students and the control group consisted of 30 female students. The experiment group was instructed using (YouTube and Snapchat) as the control group using traditional audio method. Then there is a post-test is given to both groups to measure their listening comprehension performance. The findings of the study showed that using social media (YouTube and Snapchat) can enhance the listening skill of Saudi EFL leaners. The researcher recommends conducting more studies on other samples from different studies, age levels and from different environments like the schools or training institutes.

scholarly journals DIGITAL LEARNING OF ENGLISH BEYOND CLASSROOM: EFL LEARNERS’ PERCEPTION AND TEACHING ACTIVITIES

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 219-243
Author(s):  
Arif Nugroho ◽  
Arief Eko Priyo Atmojo
Keyword(s):  
Social Networking ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Classroom Interaction ◽  
Learning Activities ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Global Pandemic

The shift of language learning from face-to-face classroom interaction to online learning beyond classroom amidst global pandemic of Covid-19 has changed how teachers and students deal with teaching and learning activities. To address the issue, the present study sheds some light on 71 EFL learners’ perception toward digital learning of English beyond classroom and a range of English learning activities in social distancing measures. Drawing on the data from a web-based survey and Focus Group Discussion, the results indicated that the students positively perceived the use of digital technology as a means of language learning amidst the global pandemic. It was also revealed that digital learning of English beyond classroom could potentially be conducted by means of available social networking sites such as Youtube, WhatsApp, Instagram, Google classroom, and Facebook. Some activities using digital learning of English beyond classroom are clearly highlighted. The results of this study contribute to the realm of language teaching in offering some insights for designing beyond classroom activities by augmenting the accessible social networking sites.

scholarly journals Using Movies in EFL Classrooms: A Study Conducted at the English Language Institute (ELI), King Abdul-Aziz University

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raniah Hassen Kabooha
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Reflective Journals ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Preparatory Year ◽  
English Language Institute

<p>The present study sought to examine the attitudes of Saudi English as a foreign language (EFL) learners as well as teachers towards the integration of English movies in their classes as a tool to develop students’ language skills. Fifty female intermediate level students studying English in their Preparatory Year Program (PYP) in the English Language Institute (ELI) at King Abdul-Aziz University (KAU), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, participated in the study. Questionnaires were administered to the students to investigate their perceptions towards the integration of English movies in their classes to develop their language skills. The researcher also conducted semi-structured interviews with both students and teachers to explore their perceptions towards the use of movies in their classes. In addition, teachers were required to write reflective journals regarding the use of movies in their classes. The findings of the study indicate that both students as well as teachers had positive attitudes towards the use of movies in their classes to improve students’ language skills. The study offers pedagogical implications for EFL instructors with respect to the integration of films in their classrooms to improve students’ language learning. Well-selected movie materials could enhance students’ language learning process and increase their motivation to learn the target language.</p>

scholarly journals The Effect of Engagement in Social Networking Application on Iranian EFL Learners’ Willingness to Communicate in English

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 165-178
Author(s):  
Shahram Alipour
Keyword(s):  
Social Networking ◽  
English Language ◽  
Study Groups ◽  
Willingness To Communicate ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Learning Context ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
The Social ◽  
Language Instructors ◽  
The Impact

Motivating EFL learners to communicate in English has been a long-lasting challenge for English language instructors.  Regardless of the different proficiency level in English, every learner is expected to be able to create even simple structures in the target language; however, the EFL learners are reluctant to communicate in English.  In fact, communicative competence and authentic use of English language are directly related to learners’ willingness to communicate. Nowadays, the social networking applications (for Smartphones or Personal Computers) have introduced potential and authentic exposure opportunity for every human in the world. Combining the social networking engagement with language learning context may provide this opportunity for learners to communicate more than before. Therefore, in order to study the impact of engagement in social networking applications on Iranian EFL Learners’ willingness to communicate in English, the present research has been initiated. The sample of the study included EFL learners (N = 21) participating in TOEFL preparation course. The experimental group of the study has joined the social networking group in Telegram to communicate in English out of the class. The pre-treatment and post-treatment survey design has been applied to compare the study groups WTC level before and after the treatment.  The findings of the study indicated the positive effect of engagement in social networking on WTC. It was concluded that there are some guidelines in order to apply social networking in English language instruction. The findings are significant and applicable for English language instructors to apply such methods.

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