ELT Forum: Journal of English Language Teaching

Assessing health science students’ English language lacks: learners’ needs analysis

Tessema Gilo Gayessa, Nuru Mohammed — Sun, 31 Mar 2024 15:02:57 +0700

English language courses are provided in universities throughout the majority of the world where English is used as a second or first language to address students' English language needs in the target-situation use. However, at all Ethiopian Universities where English is taught as a foreign language, two English language skills courses, dubbed "communicative English language skills I" and "communicative English language skills II," are offered as standard courses in the first year. Large language gaps have been noted, particularly in health science academic and professional settings where English is largely expected. Hence, this study aimed to identify Health Science students’ English language gaps so that English language courses are designed accordingly. This study employed a mixed-methods research design. It was conducted via tests, observations, and interviews. The findings revealed that participant students had good proficiency in grammar and usage as well as reading skills. However, they had poor proficiency in listening skills, which in turn indicated that the students had difficulty understanding spoken English. The findings also indicated that these students demonstrated an inability to write an acceptable essay. The study further revealed that students' failure to describe a patient, the case, the complaints, and the drugs in medical terminology was partially due to a lack of English language skills. As a result, while developing English language course materials for health science students, course designers and practitioners should address these English language gaps existing in students’ academic studies and future professions.

“Teaching Unplugged”: An Approach For Designing An EFL Teacher Education at Disadvantaged Schools

Aziza Restu Febrianto, Maria Dimitrij Angie Pavita, Afi Normawati — Sun, 31 Mar 2024 15:04:50 +0700

Inspired by the approach of “Teaching Unplugged: Dogme in English Language Teaching” developed by Luke Meddings and Scott Thornbury, this theoretical research introduces and offers a conceptual design of teacher training intended to be relevant to novice Indonesian EFL teachers, especially those working at schools located in the most remote and disadvantaged areas of Indonesia. The training is designed based on the theoretical framework of the approach and critical reviews of several related empirical studies. This article, therefore, focuses on exploring the applications of the approach by examining some other research including the most recent ones about the approach, and investigating its relevance to the context of English education at the most disadvantaged schools in Indonesia. The practical stages and syllabus are also presented in the article so that both teachers as participants and teacher educators can easily follow and understand how the materials can be implemented in their teaching contexts. Considering the theoretical-based materials and well-planned activities that the training offers, novice EFL teachers, after completing the program, are expected to be able to improve their both language and pedagogical skills that are needed in their school contexts and in line with the recent curriculum, the Merdeka curriculum.

Literature-based instruction and language learner autonomy: A case study of a tertiary EFL reading course

Xiaomei Sun, Wuwei Ye, Xinyi Li — Sun, 31 Mar 2024 15:07:30 +0700

This qualitative case study aims to investigate pedagogical strategies for developing language learner autonomy through scrutinising a literature-based EFL reading course carried out in a tertiary institution in China. To achieve triangulation, data were collected from multiple sources, including two diagnostic surveys, post-course feedback interviews, student artefacts, teacher’s reflective journal, and related teaching materials. In data analysis, triangulation was accomplished by involving and integrating multiple investigators’ perspectives – three researchers collaborated in analysing data collected from student feedback interviews. Findings of this study could be classified into three categories. Regarding second language acquisition (SLA), results from the surveys and interviews indicate a comprehensive improvement in learners’ L2 competence, in addition to their cognitive and motivational enhancement. With regard to literature-based instruction, evidence from this study contributes to a deepened and enriched understanding of the comprehensive approach to L2 literature and scaffolded extensive reading. For developing language learner autonomy, this study provides a three-dimensional modal with pedagogical implications for literature-based instruction, from the perspectives of teaching content, methodological approaches, and ideological orientation.

Exploring assessment practices of teachers in Advanced Speech courses

Endalew Molla Tessera, Animaw Anteneh Kassa — Sun, 31 Mar 2024 15:10:14 +0700

In Ethiopia, there is a general public concern that most university students lack communicative competence, and hence they could not communicate effectively in English. There are many contributing factors to this and most of these factors are related either to the curriculum, the teaching-learning process, or the assessment practice. Only a few studies have been conducted on the assessment practice of speaking skills since most researchers have focused on the teaching-learning process. This inquiry was made to look into the practice of assessing the Advanced Speech course. Specifically, it focuses on the assessment methods employed by teachers, the extent of measuring the sub-skills of speaking, and the effectiveness of the feedback given by the teachers. Forty-three students and six teachers were included in the study. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, classroom observation, and document analysis. The findings revealed that not many assessment methods were employed to assess the students. Sixty percent of the assessment of the course was covered by written assignments and a written final exam. Only two individual and group presentations were given as practical assessments. In addition, the assessments did not measure the students’ accuracy, fluency, pronunciation, and vocabulary. In the end, the feedback provided to the students was not effective. Students were not given a chance to correct their own errors, and they were not allowed to practice peer correction, either. This implied that teachers’ assessment practices were not effective to measure the students’ speaking performance in the intended manner and this is one of the factors that minimizes the quality of education.

Parity of learning tasks in New Total English coursebooks

David Geba Abi Anandi, Fransiskus Xaverius Mukarto — Sun, 31 Mar 2024 15:17:16 +0700

Coursebooks have an essential function in language instruction since they function as not only the guidance for both educators and learners in conducting learning programs but also the primary source of learning materials and learning tasks. Nevertheless, language learning program provides an imbalanced opportunity to develop students’ language skills equally. This study sought to analyze the balance of the learning tasks in New Total English Coursebooks in terms of the four strands. The research question in this study was “From the perspective of the Four Strands, what is the frequency distribution of learning tasks in New Total English Coursebooks?” In order to answer the research question in this study, the researchers used content analysis. The total of 637 learning tasks were analyzed in this study from three coursebooks. In selecting the samples of learning tasks, the researchers applied stratified random sampling. The findings showed that the highest frequency of strand found was meaning-focused input with 28.08%. The fluency development strand occupies 25.79% and language-focused learning occupies 23.57% of the whole learning tasks. Lastly, the meaning-focused output had the lowest frequency with 22.54%. In conclusion, the coursebooks are proven to provide balanced distributions of the four strands. The findings of this study suggest that English instructors use the coursebooks in classrooms as they provide equal balance of the four strands.

Designing digital storytelling books for TPACK development of Indonesian pre-service ELT teachers

Tifani Yuris Signori, Nur Arifah Drajati, Kristian Adi Putra — Sun, 31 Mar 2024 15:21:58 +0700

In today's educational system, the need for teachers to acquire technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPACK) has already become a mainstream transformation. Therefore, it is necessary to find a suitable strategy and approach to develop pre-service ELT teachers’ TPACK, in which one of them is actively engaging them in the design of technology-enhanced learning. This study sought to investigate Indonesian pre-service ELT teachers’ TPACK level development after designing digital storytelling book. Narrative inquiry was adopted in this research. The data were obtained from the pre- service ELT teachers’ reflective notes and semi-structured interviews. The findings of the study show that all participants are in the TPACK level of “accepting”. In the level of accepting, pre-service teachers form a favorable attitude toward teaching and learning English with digital storytelling. The implication derived from this study is that it is necessary to carefully design a project in teacher education program that can improve the pre-service teachers' TPACK level.