i-manager's Journal on English Language Teaching (JELT)


Volume 8 Issue 4 October - December 2018

Research Paper

Communication Negotiation Strategies of Senior High School English Teachers with Students Using Online Resources

Kamille C. Salazar* , Camilla J. Vizconde**
* Undergraduate, Department of English Language Studies (ELS), University of Santo Tomas, Philippines.
** Professor and Chairperson, Department of English, University of Santo Tomas, Philippines.
Salazar, K. C., and Vizconde, C. J. (2018). Communication Negotiation Strategies of Senior High School English Teachers with Students Using Online Resources. i-manager’s Journal on English Language Teaching, 8(4), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.26634/jelt.8.4.14901

Abstract

The senior high school curriculum has only been implemented recently by the Department of Education in the Philippines; therefore studies delving into teaching and learning in these levels are very limited including the negotiations of teachers with students through online resources. Using Goldwich's (2009) framework as guide, the negotiations of the teachers were determined through interviews, where five English teachers express how they negotiated and how the use of the online resources help in the development of the linguistic competence of students in learning of the English language. The study also looked into the perspectives of the teachers towards the use of technology in their instruction following Davis’ (1989) Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). After the narratives of the teachers, three themes referring to the negotiation strategies were articulated in this study: snug, simple, and systematic. Snug referred to the teachers' strategies in preparation for the tasks; simplicity referred to the clarity and brevity of the teachers' strategies; and systematic referred to strategies that are logical and procedural enabling students to follow the teachers' instructions. After evaluating the use of technology in their instruction, the teachers' statements show that the linguistic competence of the students are developed through the constant exposure they have with the activities they conduct online and the tasks they need to accomplish.

Research Paper

Use of Suggestopedia to Improve Students’ Listening Skill in English Language

Muhammad Ali Mustapha*
Lecturer, Department of Arts Education, University of Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria.
Mustapha, M. A. (2018). Use of Suggestopedia to Improve Students’ Listening Skill in English Language. i-manager’s Journal on English Language Teaching, 8(4), 16-20. https://doi.org/10.26634/jelt.8.4.14914

Abstract

The objective of this study is to examine the use of suggestopedia to improve students’ listening skill in English language. The study design used for this study was quasi-experiment. Pretest and posttest were applied to the groups selected. The population for the study comprised of 268 senior secondary school students in level two (SS II) of 2016/2017 academic session. The study was limited to two schools because of timeframe and the nature of the research. The participants were grouped into experimental and control group. The sample size of 80 students was drawn from the two schools using purposive sampling technique. The data collected were analyzed using Statistic Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Independent t-test was used to compare the differences between the groups. The results obtained from the study revealed that the use of suggestopedia method improved students’ listening skill in English language. The findings indicated that students taught using suggestopedia method performed better than the ones taught using conventional methods. Therefore, it is recommended that language pedagogy should be incorporated into the curriculum of teacher training colleges and universities to allow student-teachers benefit from latest methods used in teaching English language.

Research Paper

The Relationship between Language Learning Strategies and Vocabulary Size among Iraqi EFL University Students

Ismael R. Faraj* , Mehmet Kiliç**
*_** Department of English Language Teaching, Faculty of Education, Gaziantep University, Gaziantep, Turkey.
Faraj, I. R., and Kiliç, M. (2018). The Relationship between Language Learning Strategies and Vocabulary Size among Iraqi EFL University Students. i-manager’s Journal on English Language Teaching, 8(4), 21-35. https://doi.org/10.26634/jelt.8.4.15077

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between Language Learning Strategies (LLSs) and Vocabulary Size (VS). For this purpose, a total of 122 undergraduate Iraqi EFL learners at a state university were recruited. To investigate LLSs, a questionnaire was administered while the assessment of VS was done with Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT). To amplify quantitative results, a qualitative element in the form of semi-structured interviews with a group of eight students was conducted. The results revealed that the average reported frequency of strategy use across all students was moderate. Additionally, the students with High Vocabulary Size (HVS) and Low Vocabulary Size (LVS) employed metacognitive strategies most frequently. Results also revealed a significant correlation between LLSs and HVS. Moreover, a statistically significant difference was obtained between the learners with HVS and LVS with regard to their use of LLSs. On the other hand, the results from the interviews showed the priority of the students with HVS in LLS use. It was concluded that the comments and remarks of the participants urged the need to strategy training. Regarding VS, more efforts are needed to enhance learners' VS, especially for technical vocabulary.

Research Paper

An Analysis of Preferred Methods of Teaching and Learning English Language in Bangalore, India

Vivek Varghese* , Prakat Karki**
* M.Phil. Scholar, Department of English Language and Literature, Christ (Deemed to be) University, Karnataka, India.
** Research Associate, Cognition, Affect and Behavioral (CAB) Lab, Department of Psychology, Christ (Deemed to be) University, Karnataka, India.
Varghese, V., and Karki, P. (2018). An Analysis of Preferred Methods of Teaching and Learning English Language in Bangalore, India. i-manager’s Journal on English Language Teaching, 8(4), 36-48. https://doi.org/10.26634/jelt.8.4.14869

Abstract

The study investigated the preferred methods of teaching and learning English language among a sample of teachers and students from higher secondary schools in Bangalore, India. A total of 67 participants took part in this study which included 30 students (m=14, f=16) and 37 teachers (m=16, f=21). The Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) method was found to be the most preferred method of teaching English language among the teachers, whereas the Situational Language Teaching (SLT) was the least preferred method of teaching English language. Similarly, using written content in terms of books, newspapers, journals, etc., was found to be the most preferred method of learning language for the students, followed by learning through informal interaction. The least preferred method of learning English according to the students was the use of audio resources. Gender variability in preferences was also tested using independent samples t-tests, which revealed that male teachers gave significantly higher preference ratings for the direct method and audio lingual method in teaching, whereas male students also gave significantly higher preference ratings for the audio resources method in learning than their respective female counterparts. Both male and female teachers preferred the CLT method of teaching the most, while the use of written content was selected as the most preferable by both male and female students in terms of learning English language.

Review Paper

An Overview on Skill-Based L2 Anxieties: Definitions, Research Trends and Future Perspectives

Gökhan Öztürk*
Faculty Member, Department of Foreign Language Education, Anadolu University, Turkey.
Öztürk, G. (2018). An Overview on Skill-Based L2 Anxieties: Definitions, Research Trends and Future Perspectives i-manager’s Journal on English Language Teaching, 8(4), 49-60. https://doi.org/10.26634/jelt.8.4.14903

Abstract

Due to its influential nature on foreign language learning process, foreign language anxiety has been the focus of numerous studies in the literature of second language acquisition. In addition to its validation as a separate construct in late 80s, the last two decades have also witnessed the confirmation of skill-based anxieties as independent and unique phenomena. Based on this, the paper reports a brief review of research studies conducted on skill-based anxieties; Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety, Foreign Language Reading Anxiety, Foreign Language Listening Anxiety, and Foreign Language Writing Anxiety, in various contexts in the last two decades. The methodological perspectives used in the studies, their contexts and the important findings derived from them are presented in an orderly manner arguing their contribution to the understanding of each skill-based anxiety. Finally, suggestions for research perspectives that will guide researchers for further studies in order to present a better understanding of these phenomena are discussed.