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


Volume 8 Issue 2 April - June 2018

Research Paper

Oral Communication in Accounting Practice: Perspectives from the Philippines

Pia Patricia P. Tenedero* , Addie Anne S. Alcantara **, Anna Carmela L. Daguil ***, Clarisse R. Lim****, Tonee Rose M. Palomeno *****, Breazhalin Marie S. Rosario ******
* Assistant Professor, Department of English, Faculty of Arts and Letters, University of Santo Tomas (UST), Philippines.
**-****** Bachelor's Degree in Accountancy, University of Santo Tomas - Alfredo M. Velayo College of Accountancy, Philippines.
Tenedero, P. P. P., Lim, C. R., Alcantara, A. A. S.,Palomeno, T. S. M., Daguil, A. C. L., and Rosario, B. M. S. (2018). Oral Communication in Accounting Practice: Perspectives from the Philippines. i-manager’s Journal on English Language Teaching, 8(2), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.26634/jelt.8.2.14585

Abstract

With Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN 2015) ushering market integration, including free exchange of human resources among member countries, employer expectations from university graduates adapt to the increasingly competitive demands of the global workplace. Such development makes more urgent the alignment of academic and professional prioritization of work-related skills. Specifically, this study compares the oral communication skills deemed essential by accounting supervisors and the proficiency of entry-level accountants based on their selfassessment. To achieve this research objective, two questionnaires were prepared and administered through electronic mail-one for 100 accounting supervisors and another for 100 entry-level accountants, both randomly selected from the Big Four Audit Firms in the Philippines. Respondents rated each oral communication skill based on essentiality and proficiency, respectively. The results suggest that listening is the most essential oral communication skill in the work of new accountants. Also, entry-level accountants perceive themselves as “very proficient” in four out of five oral communication skills which accounting supervisors consider “highly essential.” The ability to “describe situations accurately and precisely to superiors” is the only highly essential skill that the entry-level accountants need to improve. Generally, the findings reflect positively on the work-readiness of the entry-level accountant respondents in relation to oral communication skills.

Research Paper

Feedback-Mediated Individual and Collaborative Planning: Effects on Structural Organization and Clarity of Argumentative Essays

Fatemeh Soltanpour* , Mohammadreza Valizadeh **, Fatemeh Ghafarianzirak ***
* University Lecturer, Department of English, Kar Higher Education Institute, Qazvin, Iran
** Ph.D. Candidate, Department of English, Faculty of Foreign Languages, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey.
*** Department of English Language, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran.
Soltanpour, F., Valizadeh , M., and Ghafarianzirak, F. (2018). Feedback-Mediated Individual and Collaborative Planning: Effects on Structural Organization and Clarity of Argumentative Essays. i-manager’s Journal on English Language Teaching, 8(2), 14-26. https://doi.org/10.26634/jelt.8.2.14586

Abstract

This two-week quantitative experimental study aimed at making a comparison among the effects of individual and collaborative pre-task planning, both with and without receiving teacher feedback on structural organization and clarity of argumentative essays. The participants were 120 Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners, assigned randomly to five groups (four experimental and one control, with no planning condition). They were given 10 minutes for planning as a pre-writing activity. The individual group did the planning individually, while the collaborative one did it through peer-interaction. There were two more individual and collaborative groups, who also received the teacher feedback during the planning process. The other writing tasks processes were done individually in all groups and in 30 minutes. The results revealed that the four experimental groups outperformed the control one. The collaborative group was significantly better than the individual one, but the two groups who received the teacher feedback had superiority over the others. The findings, which are in line with the social constructivist view of learning, also corroborate the results of previous relevant research papers. Additionally, the findings can be enlightening; the L2 writing teachers can apply the techniques utilized in this research in their classes, and hopefully obtain beneficial results.

Research Paper

The Impact of Explicit Instruction and Intentional Learning in the Reception of Vocabulary - An Experimental Study

R. Infanta Vincy*
Research Scholar, Christ (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
Vincy, R. I. (2018). The Impact of Explicit Instruction and Intentional Learning in the Reception of Vocabulary - An Experimental Study. i-manager’s Journal on English Language Teaching, 8(2), 27-35. https://doi.org/10.26634/jelt.8.2.14155

Abstract

This study investigates the importance of the reception of vocabulary in the language learning process of second language learners of English considering the evident role of vocabulary in the language fluency of the learners. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of explicit instruction and intentional learning environment in the reception of vocabulary. Thirty students from a Government school in the Coimbatore District of Tamil Nadu participated in this study. The vocabulary aspects of the English textbook under the Tamil Nadu Uniform Syllabus were analysed followed by the observation of the teaching methods employed by the teacher and the learning strategies used by the learner in the learning of the vocabulary in the selected classroom setting. Post the qualitative analysis of the observations made based on the conceptual framework of Henriksen's model of vocabulary development, a comparative study was conducted to quantitatively explore the influence of the explicit instruction and intentional learning in the reception of the target vocabulary. The participants' reception of vocabulary was gauged using the VKS (Vocabulary Knowledge Scale) and the results were tabulated. The statistical analysis of the data using the t-test tool confirmed that the explicit instruction of vocabulary and creating an intentional learning environment among the learners did result in a significant improvement in the reception of the target vocabulary of the second language learners of English. One of the key implications of the study is that the theoretical understanding of the available concepts of vocabulary knowledge and the process of vocabulary acquisition is mandatory in designing the textbook materials and in framing methodologies for the teaching of vocabulary, to the learners of English as a second language.

Research Paper

Beauty in Brevity: Capturing the Narrative Structure of Flash Fiction by Filipino Writers

Veronico N. Tarrayo*
Assistant Professor, Department of English, Faculty of Arts and Letters, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, The Philippines.
Tarrayo, N. V. (2018). Beauty in Brevity: Capturing the Narrative Structure of Flash Fiction by Filipino Writers. i-manager’s Journal on English Language Teaching, 8(2), 36-56. https://doi.org/10.26634/jelt.8.2.14584

Abstract

The 21 century has witnessed the emergence of the very short story (or “short” short story) genre called flash fiction, which has been receiving considerable attention in the digital age. Although flash fiction is a short form of narrative that may be told in less than 700 or 100 words, it is assumed to have the essential story details, and stylistic and structural features compatible with its brevity (Ben-Porat, 2011; Guimarães, 2010; Nelles, 2012; Taha, 2000). Likewise, flash fiction has found its niche in various anthologies, magazines, websites, and even in academic courses. This paper endeavors to examine the narrative structure of ten flash fiction (or “short” short stories) works written by Filipinos in the anthology Fast Food Fiction Delivery: Short Short Stories to Go published in the Philippines in 2015. Using the schematic structure of short stories proposed by Wong and Lim (2014), the study aims to shed light on these research questions: (1) What is the generic structure of flash fiction written by Filipino authors in terms of moves and steps?; and (2) How does the generic structure of flash fiction reaffirm or detract from the structure of a regular short story? In regard to this first objective of the present study, it was found that generally, the flash fiction pieces under consideration incorporate the five communicative moves based on Wong and Lim's (2014) framework: Move 1- Establishing a context, Move 2-Indicating a rising action, Move 3- Delineating the climax, Move 4-Indicating a falling action, and Move 5- Providing a resolution. Four steps have been identified as obligatory: 'describing a setting,' 'describing a character,' 'describing a complicating event,' and 'describing effects of a complicating event.'The move-step analysis conducted in the corpus would likewise prove that Filipino flash fiction adheres to the traditional or regular short story structure. The generic structure of Filipino flash fiction provides a complete story with a beginning, middle, and end; thus, it has the story elements of context, which includes the setting and the character(s); rising action; climax; falling action or denouement; and resolution. Lastly, with focus on narrative structure, this paper discusses the place of flash fiction in writing pedagogy.

Research Paper

Investigating the Effects of Blended Learning Approach on Vocabulary Enhancement from EFL Learners' Perspectives

Saman Ebadi* , Khadijeh Davood Ghuchi **
* Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics, Faculty of Humanities, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran
** Research Scholar, Applied Linguistics, Faculty of Humanities, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran.
Ebadi, S., and Ghuchi, K. D. (2018). Investigating the Effects of Blended Learning Approach on Vocabulary Enhancement from EFL Learners' Perspectives. i-manager’s Journal on English Language Teaching, 8(2), 57-68. https://doi.org/10.26634/jelt.8.2.13981

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of blended learning strategy in enhancing vocabulary on Iranian students through asynchronous using of Memerise Application outside the scheduled class time. To this end, 40 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners were randomly divided into two groups. The control group learned vocabulary items through the traditional method and the experimental group used the blended learning approach. Quantitative and qualitative data collection tools including a pre-test and post-test and a semi-structured interview were utilized. Results of the study revealed that there was a statistically significant difference between the achievement of the students who used blended learning approach and the achievement of those using only the traditional method. The findings also indicated that the students held positive attitudes towards the blended learning approach as it influenced their learning positively.