Online interactive learning plays a crucial role in improving online education quality.This grounded theory study examines:(1)what key factors shape EFL learners’online interactive learning,(2)how these factors form ...Online interactive learning plays a crucial role in improving online education quality.This grounded theory study examines:(1)what key factors shape EFL learners’online interactive learning,(2)how these factors form an empirically validated model,and(3)how they interact within this model,through systematic analysis of 9,207 discussion forum posts from a Chinese University MOOC platform.Results demonstrate that learning drive,course structure,teaching competence,interaction behavior,expected outcomes,and online learning context significantly influence EFL online interactive learning.The analysis reveals two key mechanisms:expected outcomes mediate the effects of learning drive(β=0.45),course structure,teaching competence,and interaction behavior(β=0.35)on learning outcomes,while online learning context moderates these relationships(β=0.25).Specifically,learning drive provides intrinsic/extrinsic motivation,whereas course structure,teaching competence,interaction behavior,and expected outcomes collectively enhance interaction quality and sustainability.These findings,derived through rigorous grounded theory methodology involving open,axial,and selective coding of large-scale interaction data,yield three key contributions:(1)a comprehensive theoretical model of EFL online learning dynamics,(2)empirical validation of mediation/moderation mechanisms,and(3)practical strategies for designing scaffolded interaction protocols and adaptive feedback systems.The study establishes that its theoretically saturated model(achieved after analyzing 7,366 posts with 1,841 verification cases)offers educators evidence-based approaches to optimize collaborative interaction in digital EFL environments.展开更多
This study investigates the correlation between musical competence and English prosodic production as well as the associations among their internal components.Eighty Chinese EFL learners in college took the musical pe...This study investigates the correlation between musical competence and English prosodic production as well as the associations among their internal components.Eighty Chinese EFL learners in college took the musical perception test,musical production test and English prosodic production test in sequence.In order to take a closer look at the prosodic performance,taking native English speakers as a reference,we also conducted an in-depth acoustic analysis of the English prosody produced by six cases in both high and low musical competence groups with the aid of Praat and ToBI.Our results indicate that students with high musical competence tend to outperform those with low musical competence in English prosodic production.However,musical perception competence seems to have a greater correlation with English prosodic competence than musical production competence.In addition,beat alignment or tempo(related to time and stress)could be the most associated component in musical competence with English prosody,while melody in music was double confirmed to be unhelpful.It was also spotted that cases with high musical competence performed more native-like patterns of phrase accent,boundary tones,intonational phrases as well as placement of stress.The results have important theoretical implications for the construct interpretation of musical competence,and also suggest that rhythmic perception training could be the most effective way to transfer music achievement to English speech prosody.展开更多
Language education has predominantly focused on classroom instruction and pedagogical strategies,yet the sociological aspects of learning-especially the family’s role-are often overlooked in English as a Foreign Lang...Language education has predominantly focused on classroom instruction and pedagogical strategies,yet the sociological aspects of learning-especially the family’s role-are often overlooked in English as a Foreign Language(EFL)contexts.This study explores how parental attitudes,support systems,and disciplinary approaches influence Turkish university students’oral fluency in English.While educators and curricula are frequently held accountable for low communicative competence,this paper posits that sociocultural factors originating from the home environment play a crucial role.Utilizing a qualitative-dominant mixed-methods design with 210 undergraduate EFL learners and 24 lecturers from four Turkish universities,data were gathered through questionnaires,interviews,and parental focus groups.Findings indicate that students with supportive and engaged parents exhibit greater self-efficacy,confidence,and linguistic agency in communication tasks.In contrast,those from indifferent or authoritarian families experience anxiety,low motivation,and stagnation in oral skills.Grounded in Bourdieu’s social capital theory,Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory,and Coleman’s social context of learning,this study conceptualizes the family as an“invisible classroom”where linguistic habits,discipline,and cultural aspirations are cultivated.The paper concludes by proposing a Family-Engaged EFL Fluency Model(FE-EFM)that integrates learner development within a framework of sociological co-responsibility involving parents,educators,and institutions.展开更多
The paper discusses SL learners＇ lexical competence from O＇Connor＇s Five Steps of Vocabulary Acquisition Theory, Collins ＆ Loftus＇s Semantic Network Theory and Fay ＆ Cutler＇s Mental Lexicon Theory. From the dis...The paper discusses SL learners＇ lexical competence from O＇Connor＇s Five Steps of Vocabulary Acquisition Theory, Collins ＆ Loftus＇s Semantic Network Theory and Fay ＆ Cutler＇s Mental Lexicon Theory. From the discussion, the author finds that second language learners＇ lexical competence includes the following aspects： the ability to recall the words which are similar to the target words in spelling and pronunciation; the ability to recall the synonyms of the target words; the ability to recall the antonyms of the target words; and the ability to recall the related words which come together with the target words in a context. Meanwhile it advances some strategies to develop the corresponding competence.展开更多
This study is a comparative research based on corpus. This article compares China's English learners with English na?tive speakers about the use of "at last" and "in the end" from three aspects...This study is a comparative research based on corpus. This article compares China's English learners with English na?tive speakers about the use of "at last" and "in the end" from three aspects: frequency of use, location, semantic prosody. The study shows that the use of the two words are greatly different between China's English learners and English native speakers. In addition, this study discusses about causes of obvious differences and teaching enlightenments.展开更多
This study investigated the general situation of metalinguistic awareness of third language learners in Chinese universities.Data analyses showed that the level of metalinguistic awareness in those learners was signif...This study investigated the general situation of metalinguistic awareness of third language learners in Chinese universities.Data analyses showed that the level of metalinguistic awareness in those learners was significantly higher than that of second language learners.And learning a third language can improve metalinguistic awareness.展开更多
It has long been in dispute about whether explicit grammar teaching is more effective in second language learning or implicit grammar teaching is.However,there are more than one factor to take into consideration while...It has long been in dispute about whether explicit grammar teaching is more effective in second language learning or implicit grammar teaching is.However,there are more than one factor to take into consideration while discussing which way is better for L2 learners.This short essay aims at depicting three respects concerning grammar teaching,namely learning context,language learners'beliefs and needs,and grammar instruction.When educators and practitioners try to adopt grammar instruction either implicitly or explicitly in L2 learners'writing development,they probably need to consider the above three factors and to find out the best way to produce more effective teaching results among their students.展开更多
The goal of teaching English speaking is to improve students' communicative efficiency, or make students speak the target language clearly, coherently, accurately and fluently (Xu, 2005). However, in China, a numb...The goal of teaching English speaking is to improve students' communicative efficiency, or make students speak the target language clearly, coherently, accurately and fluently (Xu, 2005). However, in China, a number of students in an English speaking class tend to be passive and reluctant to speak out or be singled out publicly mainly due to their high anxiety, which, of course, becomes a significant constraint on improving their English proficiency. Therefore, how to create a relaxed atmosphere with a sense of security in the English speaking class to alleviate Chinese learners' anxiety and to provide them with as many opportunities as possible to practice speaking English and improve their English proficiency is one of the central tasks for language teachers.his paper will firstly outline my teaching context in China in physical, pedagogical, institutional and personal aspects. This will be followed by the definition and classification of language learning anxiety, and the analysis of various factors contributing to foreign language learners' anxiety as well as some suggestions of how to reduce the learners' anxiety in the oral class according to the current literature. Finally, some applications will be presented in my teaching context in the hope of decreasing Chinese students' anxiety to enhance their English speaking proficiency.展开更多
Among the two commonly identified ways of assessment,summative assessment aims to measure,or summarize,what a student has grasped,and typically occurs at the end of a course or unit of instruction.While the formative ...Among the two commonly identified ways of assessment,summative assessment aims to measure,or summarize,what a student has grasped,and typically occurs at the end of a course or unit of instruction.While the formative assessment,which is characterized by the needs of insiders,is distinct in that it focuses on learning through assessment and the role of the learners in this process.As is well known,teachers' role in the classroom assessment is geared to formulating and scaffolding learning on the basis of on-going feedback from internal and external assessment sources.Peer review,on the other hand,is also an important component of the process of developing assessment.During the formative assessment in the EFL classroom,classroom teachers' evaluation as well as students' active peer scaffolding in group works play important roles in the decision making process.Although the formative and for learning perspective is quite different from the summative and of learning perspective in terms of theoretical and educational orientation.Neither students nor teachers should be ignored in the whole process for formative assessment.展开更多
Nowadays, the actualities of slow learners in English class are not satisfying in China. Confronted with such kind of situation, as language teachers, how to promote the slow students' learning, is one of the bigg...Nowadays, the actualities of slow learners in English class are not satisfying in China. Confronted with such kind of situation, as language teachers, how to promote the slow students' learning, is one of the biggest problems in our teaching. The paper focuses on the features of slow learners, e.g., little or improper motivation, debilitative anxiety, introversion, inhibition, etc. and the roles the slow learners play in English class, and some of the writer's personal suggestions for promoting their learning in English class as well.展开更多
This paper is organized into three main sections.In the first section,theories and related research on rhetorical patterns are reviewed.The second section analyzes and discusses the rhetorical patterns demonstrated in...This paper is organized into three main sections.In the first section,theories and related research on rhetorical patterns are reviewed.The second section analyzes and discusses the rhetorical patterns demonstrated in the essays of ESL learners in China and Canada.The paper is ended with a third section that discusses the implications of this research for the future studies and the teaching of ESL writing.展开更多
Pronunciation often gets ignored over grammar and vocabulary in EFL programs.However,words stressed incorrectly or with inappropriate pitch or intonation will impede the learner in getting the intended message across....Pronunciation often gets ignored over grammar and vocabulary in EFL programs.However,words stressed incorrectly or with inappropriate pitch or intonation will impede the learner in getting the intended message across.Phonology,then,should be an integral part of any EFL lesson.This paper examines the current situation of English pronunciation of Chinese students and aiming to present a procedural approach for incorporating phonological elements into an EFL syllabus.展开更多
Self-confidence is closely related to L2 learning.In order to make their learners enjoy English learning,English teach ers need to strengthen the learners’English learning confidence.This article is to find out Engli...Self-confidence is closely related to L2 learning.In order to make their learners enjoy English learning,English teach ers need to strengthen the learners’English learning confidence.This article is to find out English teachers’role to strengthening learners’self-confidence in ELL by means of class observation.The writer concludes improving speaking ability;giving praise and offering gentle error correcting can help to strengthen the learners’confidence.展开更多
The paper is a literature review, aiming to examine the effectiveness of web-based college English learning which mainly focuses on learners' autonomous learning. Previous studies indicate that the web-based learn...The paper is a literature review, aiming to examine the effectiveness of web-based college English learning which mainly focuses on learners' autonomous learning. Previous studies indicate that the web-based learning can improve learners' autonomous learning, as well as some problems found in their findings. Therefore, this paper first gives a summary and critique of research studies on the web-based autonomous learning and some factors influencing learners' autonomous learning ability;then, areas that deserve further study are also indicated.展开更多
To assist young learners to cultivate efficient learning strategies in the early ages, students in the current study were guided to read three authentic online storybooks and then write their own digital stories with ...To assist young learners to cultivate efficient learning strategies in the early ages, students in the current study were guided to read three authentic online storybooks and then write their own digital stories with tablet PCs. The study aims to investigate Taiwan Residents elementary school students＇ use of online reading strategies, and their relationship with students＇ performance on reading proficiency tests. The target population consisted of upper-grade learners （n = 83）. The instruments were a M-SORS （modified survey of reading strategy） questionnaire and a reading proficiency test. Major findings were as follows： （l） Students used online reading strategies at medium level; （2） problem solving strategies were proven to significantly correlate with students＇ performance on reading comprehension test; and （3） there was a significant difference between higher and lower reading proficiency learners＇ use of online reading strategies. Pedagogical implications of the findings and suggestion for future research are discussed.展开更多
This research aims to study the relationship between content-based instruction and secondary vocational English learners.Two classes in one secondary vocational school were chosen as participants.The result shows that...This research aims to study the relationship between content-based instruction and secondary vocational English learners.Two classes in one secondary vocational school were chosen as participants.The result shows that CBI teaching has a negative correlation with English learning anxiety and has an impact on alleviating students' anxiety.展开更多
文摘Online interactive learning plays a crucial role in improving online education quality.This grounded theory study examines:(1)what key factors shape EFL learners’online interactive learning,(2)how these factors form an empirically validated model,and(3)how they interact within this model,through systematic analysis of 9,207 discussion forum posts from a Chinese University MOOC platform.Results demonstrate that learning drive,course structure,teaching competence,interaction behavior,expected outcomes,and online learning context significantly influence EFL online interactive learning.The analysis reveals two key mechanisms:expected outcomes mediate the effects of learning drive(β=0.45),course structure,teaching competence,and interaction behavior(β=0.35)on learning outcomes,while online learning context moderates these relationships(β=0.25).Specifically,learning drive provides intrinsic/extrinsic motivation,whereas course structure,teaching competence,interaction behavior,and expected outcomes collectively enhance interaction quality and sustainability.These findings,derived through rigorous grounded theory methodology involving open,axial,and selective coding of large-scale interaction data,yield three key contributions:(1)a comprehensive theoretical model of EFL online learning dynamics,(2)empirical validation of mediation/moderation mechanisms,and(3)practical strategies for designing scaffolded interaction protocols and adaptive feedback systems.The study establishes that its theoretically saturated model(achieved after analyzing 7,366 posts with 1,841 verification cases)offers educators evidence-based approaches to optimize collaborative interaction in digital EFL environments.
文摘This study investigates the correlation between musical competence and English prosodic production as well as the associations among their internal components.Eighty Chinese EFL learners in college took the musical perception test,musical production test and English prosodic production test in sequence.In order to take a closer look at the prosodic performance,taking native English speakers as a reference,we also conducted an in-depth acoustic analysis of the English prosody produced by six cases in both high and low musical competence groups with the aid of Praat and ToBI.Our results indicate that students with high musical competence tend to outperform those with low musical competence in English prosodic production.However,musical perception competence seems to have a greater correlation with English prosodic competence than musical production competence.In addition,beat alignment or tempo(related to time and stress)could be the most associated component in musical competence with English prosody,while melody in music was double confirmed to be unhelpful.It was also spotted that cases with high musical competence performed more native-like patterns of phrase accent,boundary tones,intonational phrases as well as placement of stress.The results have important theoretical implications for the construct interpretation of musical competence,and also suggest that rhythmic perception training could be the most effective way to transfer music achievement to English speech prosody.
文摘Language education has predominantly focused on classroom instruction and pedagogical strategies,yet the sociological aspects of learning-especially the family’s role-are often overlooked in English as a Foreign Language(EFL)contexts.This study explores how parental attitudes,support systems,and disciplinary approaches influence Turkish university students’oral fluency in English.While educators and curricula are frequently held accountable for low communicative competence,this paper posits that sociocultural factors originating from the home environment play a crucial role.Utilizing a qualitative-dominant mixed-methods design with 210 undergraduate EFL learners and 24 lecturers from four Turkish universities,data were gathered through questionnaires,interviews,and parental focus groups.Findings indicate that students with supportive and engaged parents exhibit greater self-efficacy,confidence,and linguistic agency in communication tasks.In contrast,those from indifferent or authoritarian families experience anxiety,low motivation,and stagnation in oral skills.Grounded in Bourdieu’s social capital theory,Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory,and Coleman’s social context of learning,this study conceptualizes the family as an“invisible classroom”where linguistic habits,discipline,and cultural aspirations are cultivated.The paper concludes by proposing a Family-Engaged EFL Fluency Model(FE-EFM)that integrates learner development within a framework of sociological co-responsibility involving parents,educators,and institutions.
文摘The paper discusses SL learners＇ lexical competence from O＇Connor＇s Five Steps of Vocabulary Acquisition Theory, Collins ＆ Loftus＇s Semantic Network Theory and Fay ＆ Cutler＇s Mental Lexicon Theory. From the discussion, the author finds that second language learners＇ lexical competence includes the following aspects： the ability to recall the words which are similar to the target words in spelling and pronunciation; the ability to recall the synonyms of the target words; the ability to recall the antonyms of the target words; and the ability to recall the related words which come together with the target words in a context. Meanwhile it advances some strategies to develop the corresponding competence.
文摘This study is a comparative research based on corpus. This article compares China's English learners with English na?tive speakers about the use of "at last" and "in the end" from three aspects: frequency of use, location, semantic prosody. The study shows that the use of the two words are greatly different between China's English learners and English native speakers. In addition, this study discusses about causes of obvious differences and teaching enlightenments.
文摘This study investigated the general situation of metalinguistic awareness of third language learners in Chinese universities.Data analyses showed that the level of metalinguistic awareness in those learners was significantly higher than that of second language learners.And learning a third language can improve metalinguistic awareness.
文摘It has long been in dispute about whether explicit grammar teaching is more effective in second language learning or implicit grammar teaching is.However,there are more than one factor to take into consideration while discussing which way is better for L2 learners.This short essay aims at depicting three respects concerning grammar teaching,namely learning context,language learners'beliefs and needs,and grammar instruction.When educators and practitioners try to adopt grammar instruction either implicitly or explicitly in L2 learners'writing development,they probably need to consider the above three factors and to find out the best way to produce more effective teaching results among their students.
文摘The goal of teaching English speaking is to improve students' communicative efficiency, or make students speak the target language clearly, coherently, accurately and fluently (Xu, 2005). However, in China, a number of students in an English speaking class tend to be passive and reluctant to speak out or be singled out publicly mainly due to their high anxiety, which, of course, becomes a significant constraint on improving their English proficiency. Therefore, how to create a relaxed atmosphere with a sense of security in the English speaking class to alleviate Chinese learners' anxiety and to provide them with as many opportunities as possible to practice speaking English and improve their English proficiency is one of the central tasks for language teachers.his paper will firstly outline my teaching context in China in physical, pedagogical, institutional and personal aspects. This will be followed by the definition and classification of language learning anxiety, and the analysis of various factors contributing to foreign language learners' anxiety as well as some suggestions of how to reduce the learners' anxiety in the oral class according to the current literature. Finally, some applications will be presented in my teaching context in the hope of decreasing Chinese students' anxiety to enhance their English speaking proficiency.
文摘Among the two commonly identified ways of assessment,summative assessment aims to measure,or summarize,what a student has grasped,and typically occurs at the end of a course or unit of instruction.While the formative assessment,which is characterized by the needs of insiders,is distinct in that it focuses on learning through assessment and the role of the learners in this process.As is well known,teachers' role in the classroom assessment is geared to formulating and scaffolding learning on the basis of on-going feedback from internal and external assessment sources.Peer review,on the other hand,is also an important component of the process of developing assessment.During the formative assessment in the EFL classroom,classroom teachers' evaluation as well as students' active peer scaffolding in group works play important roles in the decision making process.Although the formative and for learning perspective is quite different from the summative and of learning perspective in terms of theoretical and educational orientation.Neither students nor teachers should be ignored in the whole process for formative assessment.
文摘Nowadays, the actualities of slow learners in English class are not satisfying in China. Confronted with such kind of situation, as language teachers, how to promote the slow students' learning, is one of the biggest problems in our teaching. The paper focuses on the features of slow learners, e.g., little or improper motivation, debilitative anxiety, introversion, inhibition, etc. and the roles the slow learners play in English class, and some of the writer's personal suggestions for promoting their learning in English class as well.
文摘This paper is organized into three main sections.In the first section,theories and related research on rhetorical patterns are reviewed.The second section analyzes and discusses the rhetorical patterns demonstrated in the essays of ESL learners in China and Canada.The paper is ended with a third section that discusses the implications of this research for the future studies and the teaching of ESL writing.
文摘Pronunciation often gets ignored over grammar and vocabulary in EFL programs.However,words stressed incorrectly or with inappropriate pitch or intonation will impede the learner in getting the intended message across.Phonology,then,should be an integral part of any EFL lesson.This paper examines the current situation of English pronunciation of Chinese students and aiming to present a procedural approach for incorporating phonological elements into an EFL syllabus.
文摘Self-confidence is closely related to L2 learning.In order to make their learners enjoy English learning,English teach ers need to strengthen the learners’English learning confidence.This article is to find out English teachers’role to strengthening learners’self-confidence in ELL by means of class observation.The writer concludes improving speaking ability;giving praise and offering gentle error correcting can help to strengthen the learners’confidence.
文摘The paper is a literature review, aiming to examine the effectiveness of web-based college English learning which mainly focuses on learners' autonomous learning. Previous studies indicate that the web-based learning can improve learners' autonomous learning, as well as some problems found in their findings. Therefore, this paper first gives a summary and critique of research studies on the web-based autonomous learning and some factors influencing learners' autonomous learning ability;then, areas that deserve further study are also indicated.
文摘To assist young learners to cultivate efficient learning strategies in the early ages, students in the current study were guided to read three authentic online storybooks and then write their own digital stories with tablet PCs. The study aims to investigate Taiwan Residents elementary school students＇ use of online reading strategies, and their relationship with students＇ performance on reading proficiency tests. The target population consisted of upper-grade learners （n = 83）. The instruments were a M-SORS （modified survey of reading strategy） questionnaire and a reading proficiency test. Major findings were as follows： （l） Students used online reading strategies at medium level; （2） problem solving strategies were proven to significantly correlate with students＇ performance on reading comprehension test; and （3） there was a significant difference between higher and lower reading proficiency learners＇ use of online reading strategies. Pedagogical implications of the findings and suggestion for future research are discussed.
文摘This research aims to study the relationship between content-based instruction and secondary vocational English learners.Two classes in one secondary vocational school were chosen as participants.The result shows that CBI teaching has a negative correlation with English learning anxiety and has an impact on alleviating students' anxiety.
