Journal Review part 4: Effect of Using Video Materials in the Teaching of Listening Skills for University Students

Author:

Kretsai Woottipong

Technology has played an increasingly important role in the methods of instruction. One technology is video which offers instructors a wide variety of resource material to be employed in EFL classrooms to improve students’ listening comprehension. Music and setting elements can make for an enjoyable experience by learners. Video materials can be used an alternative instructional tool for teaching listening since they are a rich source of conversation and dialogue by English speakers. This can greatly facilitate comprehension of pronunciation. 

Secules, Herron & Tomasello (1992 cited in Keihaniyan, 2013) mentioned that the employment of video-based instruction is preferable to audio-only instruction in teaching language learning due to its multiplying input modalities that can motivate learners and attract their attention to the aural input. As a result, the use of video material is widely employed as an instrument to practice listening skill in English language learning. For these reasons, the aim of this study was to gain an understanding of the effects of using video materials in the development of listening skills in an EFL classroom.

In order to choose video material for the classroom, topics must be chosen based on students’ interest and their level of English proficiency, as well as cultural aspects. In addition, Nunan (2003) stated that the design of listening cycles is an important consideration, which involves selecting the content of the video or audio recording and dividing it into sections for presenting in stages to learners. Instructors can design cycles of activities in which learners can participate. The instructor should also be a reflective observer in order not to distract the learners’ attention from the video. Therefore, it would be very beneficial for instructors to select video materials that are conducive to language learning. Learners are more motivated to cope with the instruction when given the opportunity to study with the use of video materials.

The sample of the student population for this study was 41 first-year English major students in the second semester of the academic year 2012 at Thaksin University, Thailand. They were selected by simple random sampling. The study was conducted over 20 teaching periods. The one-group pretest-posttest design was implemented in this study. The instruments used in this study were lesson plans, English comprehension tests (pretest and posttest) and a questionnaire of the students’ attitude. Regarding the data analysis, mean, percentage and t-test scores for the dependent sample were employed. The result indicated that the students’ English listening comprehension ability increased significantly after learning with videos and students had positive attitudes towards using videos in teaching listening skills.

The findings of this study revealed that the use of video materials to develop listening comprehension of first-year English major students seemed to be effective, as indicated by the post-test score which was significantly higher than the pre-test score. Analysis of the students’ responses questionnaire from this journal revealed that they were more interested in learning English if the teacher used English videos as teaching materials. In addition, the keyword preview before watching videos motivated them to learn English. They explained that it was easier for them to remember and understand vocabulary in the video. Overall, students agreed that videos were beneficial in learning English, and that English subtitles in video movies were an excellent aid to learning English.

Based on the result of this study, it can be implied that video can contribute positively to language learning and processing. It helps learners in developing listening skills, in learning new lexical terms and in encouraging autonomous learning. Video-based instruction can be used to develop students’ listening and speaking skills. Activities associated with video-based instruction such as gap-filling, group discussion, and oral presentation, can also develop students’ listening and speaking skills.

The advantages

Video can be a very valuable tool for language learning. The advantages this tool provides, which this section will discuss, include the provision of samples of real-life communication, motivation for language learning, and promoting language acquisition. The first major advantage of using video is that it can provide samples of real-life situations. Learners can use video to study how language use may be employed by age and how the relationship between language use and paralinguistic features can be focused, including how to convey moods and feelings. Another reason why video is more advantageous than other forms of authentic material; it presents “slices of life.” Normally, teachers work with dialog in textbooks or audio cassettes; however, video presents communication more contextually. According to Allan, this makes video a valuable addition to language learning. Teachers should be well-trained in the use of video and how best to exploit its inherent advantages in a learning environment. Furthermore, the selection of the video content should be appropriate to the level of students’ English proficiency. The topics of the content should be matched to their interests and their background knowledge in order to motivate them to learn.

This journal is almost otherwise perfect in my opinion. But, there is one problem which is the weakness of this journal. Namely, there are several word repetitions that make this journal a little boring to follow.

Journal Review part 3: Improving literacy skills through learning reading by writing: The iWTR method presented and tested

Authors:

Annika Agélii Genlott

Åke Grönlund

Learning to read and write is a basic skill that unfortunately not everybody acquires sufficiently. Lack of teachers and time in school are some of the reasons, but in addition the enormous rise in informational activities due to the Internet and other information technology-enabled opportunities has made literacy skills increasingly important to ever more people. This means literacy education must be improved so more children in the world get better chances. 

In 1984 a computer-assisted “Write To Read” (WTR) program was designed and tested in a number of US schools over the following decade. Results were mixed; some schools achieved good results, others not. One reason for the limited success was that WTR programs were not completely implemented in all schools so the evaluation rests on incomplete data (Slavin, 1991). Early test used computer labs, which meant children were taken out of their everyday work practices in the classroom. This limited the amount of time available for the program. It also made it difficult to see effects of the computer use as the children also learned reading and writing in traditional ways in the classroom.

Partly for practical reasons, the early WTR trials emphasized individual training at the expense of the social aspects of learning – students were working alone at the computer separated from the social activities in the classroom, like discussing letters, words, and texts with teacher and peers, which are considered crucial in socio-cultural perspective on learning. Today’s trials use portable computers or tablets (for example, iPads) and web sites integrated in everyday classroom activities. Contemporary WTR trials report positive long-term effects – improved results during later school years (Trageton, 2003) – but studies often suffer from lack of research rigor.

A factor that is underresearched in WTR research, and indeed in many studies of ICT use, is the importance of social interaction. Recent research on social interaction in combination with ICT use finds that the effect of ICT tools is mediated through the ”right use”, i.e. the setup of the social interaction in which the tool is used. Drawing on a critical social practice view of literacy this project has developed the method further to include a social view of learning.

In order to contribute to developing better methods for learning to read and write in early years this study tests a new method developed to improve reading and writing learning in early ages. The ICT (Information and communication technologies) supported “Integrated Write to Learn” (iWTR) method lets children in 1st grade use computers and other ICT tools to write texts and subsequently discuss and refine them together with class mates and teachers. Handwriting is postponed to 2nd grade. While the traditional method requires students to go through two development processes in parallel, a cognitive (learning to read) and a motor (learning to write with a pencil), iWTR works with one process at a time, first cognitive development, then (from grade 2) motor skills training. iWTR extends previous WTR methods by more social work methods using a web site and peer comment for providing social meaning and feedback.

“Integrated” means that reading and writing are integrated within the classroom, within a social learning process, and across school subjects. Children cooperate pairwise producing texts, using keyboard, which are then published on a class web site and subjected to discussion among students, teachers, and parents, and subsequently refined in joint efforts. This means all writing has a purpose and an audience, and texts are not static but further developed based on discussions. Speech technology is used to check that the writing produces the desired sound, thus providing direct response to the children’s spelling.

The method was tested using two test groups and two control groups by systematically measuring performance in reading and writing using standard tests in combination with observations and student evaluation to assess social and individual effects of work methods. The results show that while reading skills were improved considerably the biggest improvement concerned writing skills. Students in the test group wrote longer texts with better structure, clearer content, and a more elaborate language.

This journal have some disadvantage, like there are some sentences that not completely done, there are some repetitions of sentences that have the same meaning, and also the wrong use of punctuation.

Journal Review part 2: Improving Speaking Skills with Efficient Ways

Authors:

Muxamatjonova Diyora

Xoshimova Diloza

The results of this study revealed that the students of ANU face many problems related to speaking skill, such as confusion and embarrassment; students did not learn speaking lessons correctly at school, and face difficulty in pronouncing some words. The results also showed that the most frequent problems were the limited amount of vocabulary among students, while the least frequent problems were the difficulty in understanding questions. This study also presented some of appropriate solutions to overcome the weakness in speaking skill, such as practicing speaking English inside and outside the classroom effectively, using the modern social media to communicate in English and to express the students feelings and needs.

Many students master the fine points of English grammar but find themselves at a loss when it comes to actually having a conversation with native speakers. In reality, the only way to develop fluency in speaking is by huge amounts of listening, and then practicing. The following are a few tips for improving English speaking skills. Don’t forget that listening is the foundation for speaking! When you also want to practice speaking, here are some suggestions for how to improve English speaking skills. Effective communication, of course, doesn’t mean perfect communication, nor error free communication. It just means communicating in a way that leaves both speaking partners feeling comfortable about the experience.

Find An English-Speaking Conversation Partner

First of all, it’s important to find native speakers to practice with. Students who are living around many English speakers may be able to find informal opportunities to chat with neighbors and local business people. If that isn’t an option, consider hiring a private tutor. A lot of students find and meet with tutors online via tools like Skype or Google Hangouts.

Make Sure To Listen As Well As Speak

Try to balance your listening and speaking. It’s a good idea to prepare questions in advance so that the conversation will flow back and forth. If your conversation partner asks you a question and you answer at length, you can always turn the question back to your partner by asking, “What do you think?” or “What about you?”

Record Your Conversation Practice

Recording is a great way to get the maximum benefit from a conversation with a native speaker. When you listen again, you can evaluate your own pronunciation and notice areas where you need to improve. You can also review the content of the conversation, take notes on new vocabulary or misunderstandings, and prepare questions for the next meeting.

Surround Yourself With The English Language

Immerse yourself in English as much as possible. Watch movies or TV in English, with subtitles if you need them, and watch the same programs over and over. Most people find that they understand more each time. Listening helps you become familiar with the rhythms and intonations of English. Once the sounds are familiar, try imitating them.

Practice With Music and Movies

Music is one of the best tools for learning intonation pronunciation. Listening and singing songs might also help you remember vocabulary and phrases, and it will help you learn to pronounce English rhythm in a more natural way. By unconsciously imitating the singer, you’ll learn to pronounce phrases the way native speakers do. One good song for ESL or EFL students is “Tom’s Diner” by Suzanne Vega because it uses simple language to describe everyday scenes and actions. Movies are a much better choice for learning English. You’ll learn vocabulary, idioms, slang, pronunciation, and listening by watching movies. Be sure to use my movie technique when you do this!

Read Aloud

Reading out loud is a great way to practice speaking when there are no conversation partners available. Reading aloud gives you a chance to focus on pronunciation and pacing without worrying about coming up with words. Make sure to practice with material that you can understand. Some students find videos online that have transcripts. By reading aloud from a transcript, you can check your pronunciation by listening to how the speaker says something.

Think in English

If you think in your native language and then try to speak English, you’ll always have to translate between languages. Translating isn’t an easy thing to do! Even people fluent in two or more languages have trouble switching between languages. The solution is to think in English. Try to use English when you’re thinking about your day, or when you’re trying to decide what food to order. Even try to use an English-to-English dictionary to look up words. That way you never have to use your native language and translate words. You’ll notice that when you think in English, it’s easier for you to speak in English.

Talk To Yourself

Whenever you’re at home (or alone somewhere else) you can improve English speaking with your favorite person: yourself. If you’re already thinking in English, try speaking your thoughts out loud. Read out loud, too. Practice is practice, and even if you don’t have anyone to correct your mistakes, just the act of speaking out loud will help you become more comfortable speaking English. By talking to yourself, you can become more fluent in translating your thoughts into spoken words.

Use a Mirror

Whenever you can, take a few minutes out of your day to stand in front of the mirror and speak. Choose a topic, set a timer for two or three minutes and just talk. The point of this exercise is to watch your mouth, face and body language as you speak. It also makes you feel like you’re talking to someone, so you can pretend you’re having a discussion with a study buddy.Talk for the full two or three minutes. Don’t stop! If you get stuck on a word you don’t know, try expressing your idea in a different way. You can always look up how to say that word after the two to three minutes end. This will definitely help you find out what kinds of words or sentences you have trouble with.

Focus on English Fluency, Not Grammar

When you speak in English, how often do you stop? The more you stop, the less confident you sound and the less comfortable you become. Try the mirror exercise above, but challenge yourself to speak without stopping or stammering (taking pauses between your words) the entire time. This might mean that your sentences won’t be grammatically perfect, and that’s okay! If you focus on speaking fluently instead of correctly, you’ll still be understood and you’ll sound better. You can fill in the correct grammar and word rules as you learn them better.

Try English Tongue Twisters

Tongue twisters are series of words that are difficult to say quickly. One example is: “The thirty-three thieves thought that they thrilled the throne throughout Thursday.” Try saying this a few times! It’s not easy. Word games like this will help you find the right placement for your mouth and tongue, and can even help your pronunciation. You can find a list of great tongue twisters here.

The advantages of this journal give a lot of tips and tricks for improving English speaking skills. But the disadvantage of this journal is author didn't give some explanation about "ANU". They just put the abbreviation instead of continuation.

How to Understand Scientific Journals Easily

 

1. Started reading from the opening, not abstract.

Abstract contains brief caption/summary of the journal's entire contents. In the abstract reference to background, methods, results, and journal conclusions. But sometimes abstark's content doesn't quite explain the journal's content. So to avoid quoting freely, first understand the background of the research listed in the opening chapter.

2. Look for the big question

The important thing is not "what is this research about?" but" what is this research problem that you want to solve?" If you start with that question, you'll focus more on reading a scientific journal. The goal of that research is to solve a problem, right? From this big question, you will then better understand why the research has to be done.

3. Create a summary of the background, not more than five sentences

The introduction section contains such vital features as what previous research has been done, the importance of doing these research, and what research should be done next. Well, try to make a summary of that information. Knowing the basic line of research from a scientific journal makes it easier for you to grasp the whole of it.

4. Create a diagram or flow from the method part

The contents of the methods are the measures researchers are taking to address the problems of their research. In methods, researchers will describe the methods used. If experimental research were to include, for example, the tools, materials, and treatment given to objects.

5. Read the results section

After reading the accomplishment section, you can summarize it. There's no need to try to determine the content of the outcome. Just write down what he did. And actually, the content of the results you can see through your charts and tables. There's some information you should take into account when reading the results section. For example, of significant and of no significance to his results. Also, the size of the sample used should be considered. Is the sample used sufficient representation?

6. See the concluding portion

It's a good conclusion that answers the core of the problem. For example, studies have been made about how a youth's duration of social media use affects academic achievement. It's a good conclusion that answers the core of the problem. For example, studies have been made about how a youth's duration of social media use affects academic achievement. The deduction part must answer whether there is a connection between social media and achievement. If there is a connection, it must be redefined whether it is significant or not

7. Look back at the abstract to ensure your understanding of the entire journal

If you've read the journal passages correctly from beginning, method, results, to conclusion, it's time you start reading the abstract. Actually, this is to recheck whether what you captured from the journal matches or not. If you find out that something is wrong, you can reread the portion that is still misconstrued.

Source: rencanamu.id 

Journal Review: Acculturation Approach in the EFL Classroom: Attitudes and Beliefs

Authors:

Badr Allehyani

Dr. Dave Burnapp

Professor Janet Wilson

This journal aims to understand the importance for Saudi students of learning about English/American culture in developing learners’ communicative competence. It intends to explore the attitudes of students and parents of students to incorporating English/American culture into the EFL classroom. A quantitative approach was used for the data collection, consisting of a structured-questionnaire presented to 200 student and parent participants. 

The results of this study show that most students who were surveyed have a strong motivation to learn the English language in order to gain access to the culture of English-speaking countries such as the UK and the USA. Hence, they want to focus on communicative competence rather than linguistic competence in learning English.

Also, the results show that some parents treat learning the target culture with suspicion, because of the fear of losing Saudi identity by studying authentic materials. But despite this most parent respondents have positive attitudes to learning English/American culture in the EFL classroom. 

This journal has some advantages, concluding with some useful references to ways of learning English/American culture in the EFL classroom. Also, the originality of this jurnal is including parents in the belief that their participations cannot be ignored because of their influence on their children’s views. 

International students arriving in the UK thus may be in dire need of social support due to the changing environment and the unfamiliar atmosphere, which is not at all similar to their original cultural environment, so that they can adapt to this new society. In other words, learning English language outside its social context of use does not develop learners’ communicative competence. So that Saudi learners may encounter difficulties to communicate in ways that are comprehensible.

Alsamani (2014) and Al-Qahtani (2016) claim that the acculturation approach should be implemented in order to raise learners’ cultural awareness. So, Al-Qahtani points out that learners “need cultural guidance to enhance their English acquisition” (2016: 197). Such an approach develops learners’ communicative competence and ability to use English as a communicative medium. In confirmation Hesar et al. (2012: 68) say that “While teachers need to seek ways to acculturate their students, they also need to be understanding and responsive to students’ own cultures”.

As well as the previously-cited advantages of using the acculturation approach inside the EFL classroom, another advantage is that this approach can especially help those students aspiring to carry on their study abroad to deal with negative emotion and stress when this is caused by culture shock such as homesickness and distance from family and friends. is the fact of being unfamiliar with the culture of these Anglophone societies in Saudi Arabia. 

Name: Puspita Firahmahira

Class: 4-E

NPM: 1910631060122

Communication Patterns Can Affect Your Life

As we know that communication is like talking, or sharing information with the other person. Communication is a common occurrence in everyday life. You have to be willing to communicate if you want to give someone information. And someone has to be open to communication if you want to know information from that person.

To know clearly information can be obtained by means of good communication. Besides getting clear information, you can also keep the peace with the other person.

Well, that sounds little bit extreme, doesn't it? Keep the peace? Hahaha lmao. But, I'm serious about this! If you don't communicate well with the other person or your partner, what will happen? For example, you were angry or in a bad mood at the time, and then you unwittingly poured out all the distressing things in your heart to your partner with anger. What was your partner's reaction? Patient? You're lucky if she's patient. But if she doesn't? No doubt you would be shunned or hated by her.

Not only controlling emotions, but also you must present it clearly. The meaning of 'clearly' in this sentence is when you're talking with someone, please try not to be distracted by something. For example is:

1. You're talking with your friend in the phone, but the signal is bad.

2. Your mouth is full of food, but you want to keep talking.

3. You interrupted the unfinished conversation.

Here's the example of point 3:

Jennie: "hey lis, I'm in a bad mood today! 😔 You know what, I saw my ex together with my-"

Lisa: "Jennie, look! Which dress do you think it's great? Left or right?"

Jennie: "Both are good."

Lisa: "alright! Btw, um... can I borrow your money please? Because my salary hasn't been paid yet! 😔"

Jennie: ".......... Okay."

Lisa: "aww thank you baby! I have to go right now! You are my life saver! ❤️"

Jennie: "yeah, whatever."

In Jennie's heart be like "Lmao. I was gonna tell you about my story, but you interrupted me and walked away like that. You mean what? Hahaha. Surely you don't wanna hear my story, do you? 🙂"

And then there was a little bit contention between Lisa and Jennie~

"But that's not necessarily her fault. It could happened by an accident, right?"

Sure it can! Not everything happens by purposiveness. Maybe Lisa accidentally interrupted her friend because she didn't hear what Jennie said, right? But we don't know what the human heart is like, because everyone can lie and can pretend 🙂

There's a lot of damage that can happen if you keep miscommunicating, right? So please try to avoid the things I've described above! Not only that, you should avoid it so that misinformation doesn't happen! Perhaps this matter could still be handled if the information you presented not important enough and only one person knew it. But if the information is important and it becomes public, what will happen? You can imagine the impact that will have on your life. Really-really danger, bruh 🙂

"Then how can I fix it if I've already done all those things?"

Of course the first thing you should do is apologize! After you apologize, you must repeat the conversation clearly! No interruptions! If you're on calling? Send a message. If you're eating? Wait till your meal ends in your mouth. If your friend is on talking, wait until she finishes her conversation, give your opinion on what your friend is talking about, and if the topics already have done, you can talk about your part. Simple like that.

"But if the problem is misinformed people, how do I solve it?"

Do like what's on the top. Which is apologize and restate the correct information. But the difference is you have to be responsible! You must be prepared to face the consequences. Whether it's punished or ostracized.

Reading in TOEFL

Name: Puspita Firahmahira

Class: 3E

NPM 1910631060122