scholarly journals A Case Study of Question Formations of the Saudi EFL Learners at Bisha University

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdulbari Mahboob Ahmed Al-Hassaani
Keyword(s):  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Optimum Level ◽  
Progressive Change ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Saudi Students ◽  
Grammar Rules ◽  
Wh Questions ◽  
Question Formation ◽  
The University

<p>This paper has studied the question formation techniques used by the Saudi students at Bisha University. It addresses the problems faced by the students in forming questions in English. The study has identified that a large number of the students suffer from the lack of proper grammar rules in forming various types of interrogative sentences and also from the intense mother tongue interferences. The research has attempted to discover the degree of the students’ difficultness/difficulties in forming questions and analyses the various types of their problems. The paper has also correlated the problems in the area, and the syllabus, the materials, tasks, and methodology prescribed. To achieve this objective, a questionnaire based survey has been used as a research tool to obtain data from both the girls’ and boys’ colleges of the University of Bisha. The survey comprised students’ questionnaire and the tests based on Wh- questions and yes-no question formations in English. The survey has identified that most of the students had problems in forming interrogative sentences due to the mother tongue interferences. The study has also highlighted a few major problems, for instances, the syllabus is indifferent to the needs of the students, and not enough emphasis is done specifically on the English question formation aspect of the grammar. The author concluded the study with the hope that the educationalists and other stakeholders realize that no course is fruitful unless: 1). It is interesting, 2). It effects a progressive change in the ability level of the learners, and 3). It helps the students to use their potentiality to the optimum level.</p>

scholarly journals Error Analysis on the Use of Reference Devices in Argumentative and Descriptive Writings of Yemeni EFL Learners at the University of Aden: A Comparative Case Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 192-198
Author(s):  
Aref Nassi Abduh Nasser
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Error Analysis ◽  
Comparative Case Study ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
The Third ◽  
Problematic Issue ◽  
Faculty Of Education ◽  
Argumentative Texts ◽  
The University

This paper is an attempt to analyze errors in the use of reference devices in argumentative and descriptive texts written by Yemeni EFL learners at the University of Aden. It particularly aimed at making a comparison between errors in the use of these devices in the argumentative genre and those in the descriptive genre as committed by Yemeni learners of English as a foreign language. It particularly relied on the methodology of error analysis. The sample of the study was eighteen students (n=18) of the third level in the Department of English at the Faculty of Education, University of Aden. The participants were chosen randomly to write two types of texts i.e. argumentative texts and descriptive texts.  For data analysis, procedures of identifying, classifying and quantifying were used in both types of texts. The results have shown that the argumentative texts included more errors in the use of reference devices than descriptive texts. The results also revealed that misuse of reference devices was the most problematic issue in both argumentative texts and descriptive texts.

scholarly journals The Essential Techniques Affecting the Performance of Sudanese EFL Learners in Writing: A Case Study of Three Eastern Universities of Sudan

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
pp. 105-118
Author(s):  
Suad Abdelwahid Fadlallah Ali
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Know How ◽  
Sentence Combining ◽  
Fourth Level ◽  
Methods And Techniques ◽  
The University

This paper explores the English language learners’ weakness in writing because most of them do not know how to combine their sentences correctly. The paper was devoted to Sentence Combining (SC) as an essential technique or method that affects EFL learners' performance in writing English. Using the case study on fourth-level students majoring in English, the descriptive-analytical method has been applied, representing the three eastern universities in Sudan: The University of Kassala, University of Gadarif and Red Sea University. The researcher used an objective test of (83) items in Sentence Combining in English. The frequency tables and percentage were used for the five areas in the students' test (pass-fail). According to the students' outcomes, they have been proved that the Sudanese learners of English at the three eastern universities lack the awareness of methods and techniques of combining English sentences. They are not well-informed of combining English sentences by means of punctuation, co-ordination, subordination, reduction and apposition. The concept of sentence combining is unconsciously neglected by the teachers themselves, who are unaware of its importance.

scholarly journals An Investigation into Practices and Perceptions of Saudi University Learners of English towards Their Dictionaries’ Use for Learning Purposes

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 113
Author(s):  
Sultan Samah A Almjlad
Keyword(s):  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Bilingual Dictionary ◽  
Saudi Students ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The University ◽  
Paper Format ◽  
Dictionary Use ◽  
Target Words

This study investigates the dictionary use practices of Saudi students. Twenty Saudi postgraduate students from both genders (12 males and 8 females) participated in the study. All participants were postgraduate students at the University of Salford in the UK. Questionnaire and interview were the instruments used to collect data. The study discovered a number of results regarding the research questions. The findings indicated that most of the Saudi learners used their dictionaries for finding the meaning of the target words followed by checking the pronunciation of the same word. The study discovered three serious problems that face Saudi EFL learners while using their dictionaries namely the difficulty in understanding the phonetic symbols, difficulty of finding the correct words and, in addition, insufficiency of illustrative examples given in the dictionary. Moreover, the study explored that the Arabic bilingual dictionary was the single most preferred dictionary in its paper format for their educational purposes. The study concluded with emphasising the prime importance of training in dictionary use, indicating that most of the Saudi learners did not receive any form of training on the use of dictionary.

scholarly journals Contrastive error analysis of Turkish EFL learners in writing

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 236-242
Author(s):  
Şahin GÖK
Keyword(s):  
Error Analysis ◽  
Negative Transfer ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
The Other ◽  
Final Examination ◽  
Contrastive Analysis ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
University Level ◽  
The University

The aim of this study is to find out to what extent Turkish EFL students make interlingual (interference) and intralingual (developmental) errors in writing at the university level. The mid-term and final examination papers of 50 Turkish EFL students were taken and their errors were categorized into interference and developmental errors. The results of our research have shown that they made a mean of %14.6 interference errors.  Thus, this proportion does not confirm the contrastive analysis hypothesis claiming that all errors are due to the negative transfer from the mother tongue. On the other hand, they made a mean of %85.4 developmental errors which are not related to L1. So the results of T?Test indicate that Turkish EFL students made significantly more (p<.001) developmental errors.

scholarly journals A Cross-Cultural Pragmatic Study of Invitation Strategies As Produced by Indonesian and Yemeni EFL Language Learners

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 42
Author(s):  
Ali Mohammed Saleh Al-Hamzi ◽  
Ni Wayan Sartini ◽  
Nurul Fitri Hapsari ◽  
Ayoub Gougui ◽  
Raghda Mansour Ali Al-Nozili
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Speech Acts ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
First Language ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Research Perspectives ◽  
Wh Questions ◽  
The Two Cultures

Based on cross-cultural pragmatic research perspectives, the present study aimed at comparing the attainment of speech acts of invitation between Indonesian and Yemeni EFL learners. The study participants were 30 undergraduate students from Airlangga University, Indonesia, and 30 undergraduate students from Sana’a University, Yemen. All of the participants were different in terms of their cultural background. The data were gathered by using Discourse Completion Task (DCT) and then analyzed on the bases of Bruder and Tillitt (1999), Al-Khatib (2006), and Suzuki (2009) compilations of invitation strategies. The findings of the study displayed some similarities and differences in terms of invitation making. Some invitation strategies seemed to be culturally specific to one culture and others are universal across the two cultures. In this regard, Indonesian EFL learners preferred to be indirect in the use of speech acts while invitation making with the high preference to use Yes/No questions, asking for willingness and Wh. questions strategies. They believe that the use of such strategies helps them to add some polite expressions that they use in their daily conversation while using their first language. In contrast, Yemeni EFL learners favored being direct in the use of the speech act of invitation, with the highest percentage of imperative strategy followed by Yes/ No questions strategy. This might show a portion of the effect of their first language on their answers. They also know that direct invitations are mostly accepted in their culture. Besides, the findings of the study revealed that Indonesian and Yemeni EFL learners translated the utterances in their mother tongue into the target language without considering the variations between the two languages in patterns of sentences and the order of words. Implications of the study are supplied too.

Tertiary English-majored Students’ Perceptions toward the Role of Pronunciation in English Language Learning and their Practicing Strategies

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 264-279
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
English Language Learning ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
The University

Accurate pronunciation has a vital role in English language learning as it can help learners to avoid misunderstanding in communication. However, EFL learners in many contexts, especially at the University of Phan Thiet, still encounter many difficulties in pronouncing English correctly. Therefore, this study endeavors to explore English-majored students’ perceptions towards the role of pronunciation in English language learning and examine their pronunciation practicing strategies (PPS). It involved 155 English-majored students at the University of Phan Thiet who answered closed-ended questionnaires and 18 English-majored students who participated in semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed that students strongly believed in the important role of pronunciation in English language learning; however, they sometimes employed PPS for their pronunciation improvement. Furthermore, the results showed that participants tended to use naturalistic practicing strategies and formal practicing strategies with sounds, but they overlooked strategies such as asking for help and cooperating with peers. Such findings could contribute further to the understanding of how students perceive the role of pronunciation and their PPS use in the research’s context and other similar ones. Received 10th June 2019; Revised 12th March 2020; Accepted 12th April 2020

A CASE STUDY OF NL INFLUENCE IN UNIS FKIP ENGLISH DEPARTMENT STUDENTS' INTERLANGUAGE

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-54
Author(s):  
Irmala Sukendra ◽  
Agus Mulyana ◽  
Imam Sudarmaji
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Communicative Competence ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Universal Grammar ◽  
Similar System ◽  
The One ◽  
L1 Acquisition

Regardless to the facts that English is being taught to Indonesian students starting from early age, many Indonesian thrive in learning English. They find it quite troublesome for some to acquire the language especially to the level of communicative competence. Although Krashen (1982:10) states that “language acquirers are not usually aware of the fact that they are acquiring language, but are only aware of the fact that they are using the language for communication”, second language acquisition has several obstacles for learners to face and yet the successfulness of mastering the language never surmounts to the one of the native speakers. Learners have never been able to acquire the language as any native speakers do. Mistakes are made and inter-language is unavoidable. McNeili in Ellis (1985, p. 44) mentions that “the mentalist views of L1 acquisition hypothesizes the process of acquisition consists of hypothesis-testing, by which means the grammar of the learner’s mother tongue is related to the principles of the ‘universal grammar’.” Thus this study intends to find out whether the students go through the phase of interlanguage in their attempt to acquire second language and whether their interlanguage forms similar system as postulated by linguists (Krashen).

Thai Buddhist Meditation Practice Tradition and a Case Study

2020 ◽  
pp. 12-15
Author(s):  
Somboon Watana, Ph.D.
Keyword(s):  
Present Article ◽  
Practice Research ◽  
Meditation Practice ◽  
Master Teachers ◽  
Buddhist Meditation ◽  
Good Deed ◽  
University Level ◽  
The University ◽  
The Buddha

Thai Buddhist meditation practice tradition has its long history since the Sukhothai Kingdom about 18th B.E., until the present day at 26th B.E. in the Kingdom of Thailand. In history there were many well-known Buddhist meditation master teachers, i.e., SomdejPhraBhudhajaraya (To Bhramarangsi), Phraajarn Mun Puritatto, Luang Phor Sodh Chantasalo, PhramahaChodok Yanasitthi, and Buddhadasabhikkhu, etc. Buddhist meditation practice is generally regarded by Thai Buddhists to be a higher state of doing a good deed than doing a good deed by offering things to Buddhist monks even to the Buddha. Thai Buddhists believe that practicing Buddhist meditation can help them to have mindfulness, peacefulness in their own lives and to finally obtain Nibbana that is the ultimate goal of Buddhism. The present article aims to briefly review history, and movement of Thai Buddhist Meditation Practice Tradition and to take a case study of students’ Buddhist meditation practice research at the university level as an example of the movement of Buddhist meditation practice tradition in Thailand in the present.

Teaching Computer Based Historical Data Analysis

1994 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Anderson ◽  
Robert J. Morris
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
Social History ◽  
Historical Data ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Historical Data Analysis ◽  
University Of Edinburgh ◽  
Computer Based ◽  
The University

A case study ofa third year course in the Department of Economic and Social History in the University of Edinburgh isusedto considerandhighlightaspects of good practice in the teaching of computer-assisted historical data analysis.

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