• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.55-75
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• 2006

This paper attempts to discuss the complex nature of social contexts regarding English language education in Korean middle school and to demonstrate the affective factors that should be considered to find appropriate approaches within the context. To do this, a questionnaire survey was conducted among 85 middle school students regarding learners' motivation, and attitudes toward EFL learning. Additionally, teachers in secondary school were asked about the general circumstances of English language education. Findings indicate that in spite of the participants' high instrumental motivation, they rather show a negative attitude toward English learning. This paper intends to raise practitioners' attention to the fact that the effect of learners' affective variables on EFL learning seems distinctive depending on the host country's EFL contexts.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.41-56
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• 2007

This paper, drawing on various secondary sources related to bilingualism and bilingual education, proposes a semi-CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) model as an initial option for Korea's ELT instruction at a primary level, with a subsequent application to a secondary level in mind. It is reported that the current pedagogy focused on early English education and communicative language teaching does not meet the needs of students' EFL proficiency. The main reasons for this are considered to lie in the social and educational environment which impedes EFL students' meaningful and authentic communication in target language. Thus, by exploring a conceptual approach to such a problem, this paper suggests a paradigm of integrating content and language for a reasonable solution.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.353-380
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• 2009

The purpose of this study is to analyze the preconceptions Korean EFL learners have about team teaching in the field of English education at a secondary level. Team teaching is a method of teaching where a Korean English teacher works in co-junction with a native English speaker. Generally speaking, when we discuss teaching methods for a foreign language, the most important objective is to improve our communication skills. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect on communication skills when team teaching is employed, and to find ways to maximize the benefit when team teaching. The underlying issues are; firstly, what are the precedent conditions for team teaching? Secondly, what are the best teaching methods and preparations for teaching materials for improving the effectiveness of team teaching? Third, how do the programs for team teaching with native teachers assist in improving the student's communication skills? Ideally, this study will assist in overcoming the fear that foreign language learners have when communicating with real native speakers.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.1-32
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• 2007

This study took a cross-sectional, quantitative approach and profiled EFL students' awareness of the writing process and of teacher feedback. The subjects were 113 college students aged 19-26 years from non-English majors, who were enrolled in three sections of a required English course. According to the scores gained from the essay writing assignment, they were divided into two groups (proficient and less-proficient writers) and responded to an in-class survey. Major findings were that: (1) the vast majority of both groups did not find English writing enjoyable; (2) longer comments gave rise to substantial changes to the students' revisions; (3) the less-proficient writers were shown to benefit from revision significantly more than the proficient writers; (4) Both groups of writers utilized multiple strategies to process teacher feedback and preferred to receive teacher comments using complete sentences rather than phrases or single words; and (5) teacher's marks on grammar and vocabulary claimed to be most conducive to EFL writing development. Several important implications for EFL writing instruction and for future studies are suggested.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.1-18
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• 2010

This study examined the effects of previewing and providing background knowledge on low level EFL readers' comprehension of expository texts and their responses to these treatments. 130 college freshmen were randomly placed into one of three treatment groups and read two expository texts reflecting unfamiliar cultural information. Prior to reading, one group was given previewing instruction, which included vocabulary preteaching and summaries, and a second group was provided with culture-specific background knowledge through watching videos and slides. The third group read each text without any prereading instruction. Immediately after reading a passage, subjects answered a 10-item multiple-choice test. Results showed significant positive effects of the previewing treatment and weak positive effects of the providing background knowledge treatment. Students' responses on the questionnaires revealed that the majority felt that the experimental treatments contributed to comprehension enhancement, made reading more enjoyable, and expedited their reading process. Students in the control group, however, indicated that they needed explicit prereading instruction in order to understand the texts. Pedagogical implications of the findings for EFL reading instruction are provided.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.27-49
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• 2009

This study aimed to explore EFL learners' beliefs and preferences about reading tasks and to examine the reading processes that they use for making sense of text. The subjects were comprised of 107 college students who were non-English majors and aged 19-28 years. Based on scores achieved on a reading comprehension test, they were divided into two groups (more-skilled and less-skilled readers) and asked to respond to a survey in class. The results of the survey revealed that: (1) a majority rate themselves as fair readers, which might be indicative of the insecurity they feel toward L2 reading; (2) authentic texts (especially magazines) and popular media appear to be their favorite reading materials; (3) unknown vocabulary is a major impediment to their L2 reading comprehension; (4) the more-skilled readers manifest a meaning centered view of reading, whereas the less-skilled readers center on vocabulary; and (5) both groups employ a multistrategic approach to L2 reading; however, the less-skilled readers are less successful in determining the meaning of unknown vocabulary. Pedagogical implications for EFL classroom teachers are provided.

• International Journal of Computer Science & Network Security
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• v.22 no.8
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• pp.145-152
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• 2022

The current study investigates the effects of an interactive learning environment on EFL students' vocabulary acquisition and reading comprehension skills. The study utilized a quasi-experimental design. The sample consisted of 41 students enrolled in the English program at Umm Al-Qura University studying Reading in EFL course in Summer 2018/2019. The sample was randomly divided into two groups: A control group consisting of 21 students and an experimental group of 20 students. The results revealed statistically significant differences at (α≤ 0.01) between the mean scores of the experimental group and the control group in the posttest of the vocabulary test and the reading comprehension test favoring the experimental group. Finally, the study concluded with a call for more studies on modern technologies in teaching EFL skills in the Saudi context.

• International Journal of Computer Science & Network Security
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• v.22 no.9
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• pp.131-136
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• 2022

This study was initially conducted to explore Saudi students' use of reading strategies and their relationship to their reading comprehension level. The study employed quantitative methods to obtain information about Saudi students' perceived use of reading strategies and their comprehension levels. The results showed that EFL learners in Saudi Arabia use planning strategies more than attending strategies and evaluating strategies. Saudi students also perceived the environment as the most critical factor affecting their reading comprehension. There was no significant relationship between Saudi EFL learners' comprehension level and their use of reading strategies. Finally, gender differences favoring female learners were evident in almost all analyses conducted in the current study. Significant differences were found favoring female students in overall strategy use, comprehension level, and the use of evaluating strategies.

• Educational Technology International
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.93-112
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• 2007

This case study explored the potential for implementing content-based English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instruction in a Korean middle school facilitated by computer-mediated communication (CMC). The instructor scaffolded the student participant's language learning online, helping her to produce English output on her own. While experimental social studies lessons on the topic of stereotyping were taught, data were collected on the student's online exchanges with her counterpart in Iran about their respective cultures. Findings show that the student from Korea was able to better understand her own culture as a result of the online experience. This interaction and the in-class lessons have demonstrated that content-based EFL instruction is a viable alternative to the school's existing curriculum.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.42-47
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• 2023

The majority of research on Automated Writing Evaluation (AWE) programs has focused primarily on Grammarly, whereas QuillBot and its use in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms remains limitedly explored. This study examined the effectiveness of using QuillBot on the writing quality of college students. A total of 26 participants took pre- and post-writing tests, and four analytical tools were applied to assess their writing quality in terms of syntactic complexity, lexical diversity, lexical richness, and readability. Results of the syntactic complexity analysis across the four indices demonstrates that the syntactic complexity of EFL writing increased significantly, and substantial differences were observed in lexical richness and readability. These results suggest that QuillBot can compensate for the drawbacks of Grammarly and assist EFL writers in improving their overall writing quality.