uum college of arts and sciences fundamental of elt
TRANSCRIPT
-
8/9/2019 Uum College of Arts and Sciences Fundamental of Elt
1/32
UUM COLLEGE OF ARTS
AND SCIENCES
EDUCATIONAL STUDIES
SGDB5013 FUNDAMENTALS OF
ENGLISH LANGUAGETEACHING
-
8/9/2019 Uum College of Arts and Sciences Fundamental of Elt
2/32
UNDERSTANDING SUCCESFULAND UNSUCCESSFUL EFL
STUDENTS IN CHINESE
UNIVERSITIES
ZHENGDONG GAN
GILLIAN HUMPHREYS
LIZ HAMP-LYONS
The Modern Language Journal, 88, ii, (2004)
Presented on 17.07.2010 by :
Norlela @ Norlaila Ali (804818)
-
8/9/2019 Uum College of Arts and Sciences Fundamental of Elt
3/32
Success in learning a second or foreign language
is considerably more variable. Recently, second
language acquisition researchers have called for
more integrative research on individual difference
factors. With this goal in mind, this study followeda larger, quantitative study of the links between
self-directedness for language learning and
English language learning attainment among
university students on the Chinese mainland and in
Hong Kong.
-
8/9/2019 Uum College of Arts and Sciences Fundamental of Elt
4/32
Based on the findings of study by(Gan, 2003)
this 1-semester study looked closely at 2 small
groups of tertiary-level English as a foreign
language (EFL) learners in China in order to
document how they carried out their out-of-class (self-directed) English learning, as well as
to elaborate issues that may be critical to
understanding the variability that had already
been observed in their English learning
outcomes.
-
8/9/2019 Uum College of Arts and Sciences Fundamental of Elt
5/32
The data were gathered through interviews,diaries, and follow-up email correspondence with
9 successful and 9 unsuccessful second-year EFL
students at 2 Chinese mainland universities.
Using grounded theory methodology (Strauss &Corbin, 1994, 1998), 6 categories of qualitative
data were constructed: conceptualizing English
language learning; perceptions of the College
English Course; learning and practicing
strategies; self-management; internal drive; andEnglish proficiency tests.
-
8/9/2019 Uum College of Arts and Sciences Fundamental of Elt
6/32
INVESTIGATIONS INTO THEDIFFERENCES
Differences between successful andunsuccessful learners in the field of
second and foreign language learningattracted attention with the studies ofRubin(1975), Stern (1975), and Naiman,Frhlich, Stern, and Todesco (1978),
which aimed to establish what goodlanguage learning strategies might beand to share them with unsuccessfullearners.
-
8/9/2019 Uum College of Arts and Sciences Fundamental of Elt
7/32
The general findings from these studiesare that successful students demonstrate a
greater use of learning strategies or more
appropriate application ofstrategies to the
learning task, whereas less successful orunsuccessful students use a limited or
inappropriately applied repertoire of
language learning strategies.
-
8/9/2019 Uum College of Arts and Sciences Fundamental of Elt
8/32
Previous studies on differences between
successful and unsuccessful languagelearners have, however, focused mainly
on learning strategies. The combined
effects of the use of strategies with other
learner factors (e.g., attitudes andmotivation), which may play an
important role in the variance of
language learning outcomes, have not
received due consideration.
-
8/9/2019 Uum College of Arts and Sciences Fundamental of Elt
9/32
The scarcity of adequate empirical researchon learner difference factors in languagelearning within the Asian English as aforeign language (EFL) context, a research
project comprising both a quantitativesurvey and qualitative study was started inChina and in Hong Kong in 2000 in anattempt to map out a picture of key learner
variables that might lead to differentlanguage learning outcomes among tertiarylevel Chinese EFL students.
-
8/9/2019 Uum College of Arts and Sciences Fundamental of Elt
10/32
ATTITUDE, MOTIVATION, AND STRATEGY
USE Ames (1986) suggested that the effectiveness of the
learner must be examined in relation to those beliefs andperceptions that enable learners to become involved,independent, and confident in their own learning.
Similarly, McCombs (1990)suggested that attitudes andbeliefs about the self and the learning environment caninfluence a students tendency to approach, expendeffort in, and persist in learning tasks on a continuing,self-directed basis. Such a rationale thus places languagelearners attitudes at the centre of their language
learning process because it assumes that attitudes tolanguage learning condition language learningbehaviour.
-
8/9/2019 Uum College of Arts and Sciences Fundamental of Elt
11/32
Anattitude is usuallyassumedto consistofthree
componentscognitive, affective, and behavioural(Mantle-Bromley, 1995; Wenden, 1998; Zimbardo& Leippe, 1991).
The cognitive component comprises whataperson
knows or believes aboutthe objectofthe attitude. The affective component is the degree oflike or
dislike, approval or disapproval associatedwiththe attitudinal object, suchas the teacher andthe
class. The behavioural component consists ofattitudes
thatpredispose people toact ina certainway.
-
8/9/2019 Uum College of Arts and Sciences Fundamental of Elt
12/32
RESEARCH QUESTIONS1. Are there anytypical attitudinal
differences between successful and
unsuccessful tertiary-level Chinese
EFL students?2. What strategies dothey reportusing in
their English learning?
3. Howare theytypicallymotivated intocarryingouttheir English learning?
-
8/9/2019 Uum College of Arts and Sciences Fundamental of Elt
13/32
METHODOLOGY
The students are supposed to apply to take the CETBand 4 (CET4) at the end of semester 1 of year 2.The CET is a large-scale standardized test (Yang,
2000), administered by the National College EnglishTesting Committee on behalf of the ChineseMinistry ofEducation, with a view to :
1) promoting the implementation of the NationalCollege English Teaching Syllabus, and
2) measuring objectively and accurately the real
English ability ofcollege students in China
(Yang, 2000, p. 197).
-
8/9/2019 Uum College of Arts and Sciences Fundamental of Elt
14/32
Participants
The participants for this qualitative study
were fromtwouniversities in Hefei:2 the
UniversityofScience and Technologyof
Chinaand Anhui University.
Atthe time ofthis qualitative study, the
students hadjust completedtheir CEC and
taken CET4.
-
8/9/2019 Uum College of Arts and Sciences Fundamental of Elt
15/32
Five teachers were given criteria for distinguishing the two
types of students were (a) for successful students, CET4
scores should be above 80% on a 100% scale; for
unsuccessful students, CET4 scores should be below 60%
on a 100% scale; (b) successful students should not merely
be good test takers, their performance in the regular
English classes should put them among the top 5% of theclass based on their teachers perception; the unsuccessful
students should not merely be poor test takers, their
performance in the regular English classes should put
them among the bottom 5% of the class based on their
teachers perception. The five teachers recommendedaltogether 18 students (9 successful and 9 unsuccessful)
from the two universities.
-
8/9/2019 Uum College of Arts and Sciences Fundamental of Elt
16/32
Data Types
The present studyusedmultiple datatypes, forexample, interviews, diaries, andfollow-up emails asatriangulation strategytoprovide a richandcomplex picture ofsome social phenomenon
beingstudied (Mathison, 1988, p. 13). According to Denzin (1989), triangulation can often
be achieved via three basic approaches: (a) usingmultiple methods, (b) using multiple sources, and (c)using more than one investigator in the research
process. In this study, all the data analyses werecarried out through cooperation among the threeresearchers in order to accommodate the third typeof triangulation.
-
8/9/2019 Uum College of Arts and Sciences Fundamental of Elt
17/32
RESULTSSix themes emerged from the analysis of the data: (a)
conceptualizing English language learning; (b)
perceptions of the College English Course; (c) learning
and practicing strategies; (d) self-management; (e)
internal drive; and (f) English proficiency tests.
Comparisons between the 9 successful and the 9
unsuccessful students are reported based on each theme
for the sake of clarity, although there is some overlap
among responses between categories.The six themes
according to a f ramework of three dimensions:attitudinal characteristics, strategies reported, and
motivational experiences.
-
8/9/2019 Uum College of Arts and Sciences Fundamental of Elt
18/32
Attitudinal Characteristics
Conceptualizing English Language Learning.
A broad range of language learningconceptions emerged among the successfulstudents. Most notably, all the successfulstudents referred to English vocabularylearning as a very important part of theirlanguag
e lea
rn
ing
.
Wor
ds
are
the bric
ks
abuilding is made up of. Without bricks,where will the building be?
-
8/9/2019 Uum College of Arts and Sciences Fundamental of Elt
19/32
The unsuccessful students seemed to recognizethat English learning in a sense means amastery of basic linguistic knowledge as well.Most commonly expressed among theseunsuccessful students was their emphasis on
both vocabulary and grammar. Their view oflanguage as knowledge was clearly reflected ina response like the main problem with myEnglish is that Im very weak in the basics of
English, the basic grammatical knowledge andthe basic vocabulary. I need to work hard atboth
-
8/9/2019 Uum College of Arts and Sciences Fundamental of Elt
20/32
Perceptions of the College English
Course
The majority of the successful students,however, felt that the College English Coursewas too rigid or too traditional.
All the unsuccessful students indicated that thesource of boredom in the College EnglishCourse was the teaching style. A feeling thatwas expressed by about half of the unsuccessful
students was that their university Englishteachers were not particularly supportive orapproachable.
-
8/9/2019 Uum College of Arts and Sciences Fundamental of Elt
21/32
Strategies Reported
Learning andPracticingStrategies.
As a whole, the successful students reported awider range of English learning activities than
the unsuccessful students, already indicated inthe previous section. In order to look at thedifferences in the use of specific learning andpracticing strategies, the researchers examined
how the two groups ofstudents went about twocommon learning activities: vocabularylearning and lesson previewing.
-
8/9/2019 Uum College of Arts and Sciences Fundamental of Elt
22/32
Self-Management
The successful students seemed to be able to
set particular objectives for themselves,
such as enhancement of specific language
skills or expansion of vocabulary. They
appeared to have a clear idea of what
learning materials should be used, what
possible phases they might undergo, andhow the learning activities should be carried
out.
-
8/9/2019 Uum College of Arts and Sciences Fundamental of Elt
23/32
The unsuccessful students made noreference to settingtheir own language
learningobjectives. Theygenerally
appearedto lackthe initiative to improve
their English bytheir own efforts; inother
words, they lackedthe kindofglobal
strategies (Wenden, 1985) throughwhich
theythemselves could create learningandpractice goals or opportunities.
-
8/9/2019 Uum College of Arts and Sciences Fundamental of Elt
24/32
Motivational Experiences
InternalDrive.
In the case of these Chinese students, it seems that thequestion of what makes them decide to choose English doesnot apply because English is a compulsory subject from
secondary school to university. The more relevant questionwe pursued here is: What makes these students persist andmaintain English learning activity on their own? Whatresearchers found from the tertiary-level Chinese EFLstudents may shed some light on the argument that it is notknown whether it is, in fact, high motivation that makessome people choose to study the language or the study ofthe language that creates motivation (Inbar, Donitsa-Schmidt, & Shohamy, 2001).
-
8/9/2019 Uum College of Arts and Sciences Fundamental of Elt
25/32
English Proficiency Tests
By the time of this research project, all thesuccessful students had taken the CET4; theirscores ranged from 82% to 97% (on a 100%scale). All of them had set the new personalgoal of taking the CET6; a majority of themvolunteered to take the CET Spoken EnglishTest, and half of them mentioned they wouldtake the Test of English as a Foreign Language
(TOEFL) or the International EnglishLanguage Testing System (IELTS) in the nearfuture for the purpose of doing graduate studyinthe United States or the United Kingdom.
-
8/9/2019 Uum College of Arts and Sciences Fundamental of Elt
26/32
The unsuccessful students. At the time of this study, these students were
preparing for the CET4 for the second time.The majority of them indicated that a CET4
certificate would suffice for them (i.e., theydid not have any intention of taking CET6and the CET Spoken English Test, let aloneTOEFL, IELTS, and GRE). Overall, the
unsuccessful students expressed anxiety,panic, indifference, or hatred towards theCET.
-
8/9/2019 Uum College of Arts and Sciences Fundamental of Elt
27/32
DISCUSSION
the present qualitative research focused on
potential patterns and processes among two
types of EFL learners in a Chinese context.
This focus is consistent with assumptions of
grounded methods used to infer a
substantive theory that evolves from the
study of phenomenon situated in oneparticular situational context (Strauss &
Corbin, 1990, p. 174).
-
8/9/2019 Uum College of Arts and Sciences Fundamental of Elt
28/32
This study showed both similarities and
differences betweenthe successful and
unsuccessful students interms ofhowthey
may be conceptualizingthe process of
language learning.
Learning a language means learning its
culture; language learning means
developing and maintaining language sense;language learning entails learning the
language through using it.
-
8/9/2019 Uum College of Arts and Sciences Fundamental of Elt
29/32
Implicit in this finding is that the wholesocio emotional and cognitive system of
classroom interaction may stimulate
progressive development among
successful students but regressive
coping efforts among unsuccessful
students. The unsuccessful students
displayed an overall negative attitude.
-
8/9/2019 Uum College of Arts and Sciences Fundamental of Elt
30/32
FUTURE DIRECTIONS
Mainstream Second Language Acquisition
research has been largely anchored within a
cognitive framework(Larsen-Freeman, 2001).
The past decade, however, has seen an
appreciation of the role ofcontextual factors in
learners second/foreign language learning
(Gardner, Masgoret, & Tremblay, 1999;Lantolf& Appel 1994; Norton & Toohey, 2001;
Siegel, 2003).
-
8/9/2019 Uum College of Arts and Sciences Fundamental of Elt
31/32
The findings from the present study lead us to
agree with researchers who argue thatinteraction of learner difference factors andcontextual factors contribute to differentialsuccess as language learners (Clment &
Gardner, 2001; Sinclair, McGrath, & Lamb,2000).
How foreign language aptitude may beimplicated in learning achievement at different
learning stages, in different socio culturalcontexts, of both, should be a very promisingavenue to be explored.
-
8/9/2019 Uum College of Arts and Sciences Fundamental of Elt
32/32
THANKYOU