Dissertations for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
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Item Native versus the non-native English speaking teacher: the adult student's perspective in the UAE(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2009-01) Karim, Asma Ismail AbdulItem Insights into spelling mistakes experiences by UAE students(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2010-12) Hassan, Azzam Halamo AbdullahPurpose – This paper aims to study the particular difficulties experienced by UAE grade 12 students in learning English spelling. The purpose is to examine the students’ written work in CEPA (Common Educational Proficiency Assessment ) Exam files to identify the most frequent and common spelling mistakes that UAE students encounter as they learn to spell in English, a language that is very different from students’ L1 (Arabic) both morphologically and orthographically. Methodology – Two major procedures were employed to achieve the purpose of the study. The first procedure was the use of modern technology (Antconc software) to trace the spelling mistakes found in the BALC (BUiD Arab Learner Corpus). Then, the most frequent mistakes were extracted from the Corpus, classified under different categories; and then the most frequent common ones were indentified. The next procedure was distributing a questionnaire to a number of grade 12 English Language teachers to share their perspectives about spelling difficulties in general and to find out possible solutions that can be used to eradicate spelling problems and help to enhance students’ ability in mastering the English spelling skill. Findings – The study revealed that UAE grade 12 students experienced frequent common spelling problems particularly in general vowel orthography (mainly short and long vowel words), deleting final e, syllable junctures, syllable rimes, and consonant doubling. The study also came up with the fact that one of the main reasons beyond these mistakes is that students were highly influenced by their L1 orthography. The value – The awareness of the revealed frequent common mistakes is of great significance to teachers of English, educators as well as to researchers. Upon the findings of this study, appropriate methods can be applied to tackle spelling problematic areas. It is hoped that the recommendations and results of this study could be of much benefit for developing the skill of teaching and learning English spelling in the UAE schools.Item A Study on the impact of receptive and productive vocabulary levels on the success of learners on English for Academic Purposes (EAP) programmes(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2011-12) Rowe, Nicholas RobertThis paper will focus on the argument that the ability of English L2 students to cope on university foundation programmes is more hindered by limitations in their knowledge of more commonly used ‘higher frequency’ vocabulary as opposed to a lack of academic skills or content-related vocabulary. To investigate the link between lexical richness and academic competency experiments were carried out on English for Academic Studies (EAP) students studying on academic and university foundation courses at a private language college in Oxford, England. Firstly, the learners were tested to see if a link existed between learners’ receptive and productive vocabulary sizes and the lexical requirements of the academic foundation courses they were on. A second experiment was performed on a group of general English learners taking a 6 week intensive vocabulary programme to ascertain if a focus on teaching ‘higher frequency’ vocabulary could have an immediate impact on a learner’s vocabulary size. The experiments found that vocabulary knowledge influenced learners’ linguistic levels, and that higher frequency meaning-based lexical tuition on foundation programmes could have an impact on an EAP student’s vocabulary competence. As a result academic and foundation course syllabus designers could consider offering intensive ‘higher frequency’ vocabulary tuition programmes to give foundation level EAP learners the meaning-based language which would enable them to activate the academic study skills and specialist content vocabulary knowledge they already possessed.Item Native and Nonnative English-speaking EFL Teachers’ Beliefs about Teaching Grammar and their Classroom Practices in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi Government High Schools(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2012-01) Mohamed, Shireen Mohamed HassaneinThe main purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate the native English-speaking (NESTs) and the nonnative English-speaking (NNESTs) EFL teachers’ self-reported beliefs towards grammar teaching and their classroom practices. The study aimed to examine the relationship between NESTs and NNESTs’ beliefs and their actual instructional practices. Furthermore, it attempted to stand on the contextual factors that may hinder the transformation of their thoughts into real actions. All the teachers participated in this study are in-service expatriates, teaching English language in six government high schools in the two cities of Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. In the first stage of the study, 60 native and nonnative English-speaking EFL teachers (30 NESTs and 30 NNESTs) were invited to fill in a self-report questionnaire to elicit their beliefs and classroom practices regarding grammar teaching. In the second stage, a semi-structured interview was conducted with four (2 NESTs and 2 NNESTs) of those teachers to gain deeper understanding of their personal opinions, beliefs and perspectives. In the third stage, the same four participant NESTs and NNESTs’ grammar instructional behaviour was observed, field-noted and then selectively transcribed and described. The findings revealed that the participant NESTs and NNESTs undeniably have a set of multifaceted beliefs regarding the role of grammar in language learning, grammar teaching approaches, error treatment, and finally the use of grammatical terminology and students’ first language. The quantitative data revealed that participants’ self-reported beliefs are, to a large extent, reflected in their classroom practices. These findings thus add support to previous research findings that teachers’ beliefs are powerful and can greatly shape and guide their professional practices. However, the qualitative data showed a different picture: the beliefs and practices were partially different. This inconsistency between beliefs and practices are related to various contextual factors, including class density, time constrains, incompatibility of the assigned text-books, huge work load, in addition to students’ needs, expectations and proficiency levels.Item The Impact of Using Computers on the Writing Performance of Tenth Grade SStudents in the Institute of Applied Technology (IAT) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE)(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2012-03) Shunnar, Bashar AbuThe purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of using computers on the writing performance of tenth grade, English as a Foreign Language (EFL), students at the Institute of Applied Technology (IAT) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). In order to achieve this purpose, the study sought to answer the following question: Are there any significant differences at (α = 0.05) between the writing performance, linguistic level, and rhetorical level of tenth grade Emirati, EFL students who are trained to write through computers, and that of those who are trained to write in the traditional way? To answer this question, English writing was taught to two different groups of tenth grade, EFL students at the Institute of Applied Technology (IAT) in Abu Dhabi. At the end the experiment, the data collected was analyzed by computing the Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA), using the scores of both groups in the pre-test as a Covariate. The findings of the study indicated that using the computer, as a writing tool, had a significant effect on student writing performance, at both levels: the local (linguistic aspects), and global (rhetorical aspects). Based on the findings of the study, this researcher recommends the use of computers in the teaching of English language writing to improve the quality of tenth grade Emirati, EFL student written work. The researcher also recommends that these students should be trained to use methods in the writing of the English language with the aid of computers.Item Promoting the speaking skill: a comparative study between group work classes in Fujeirah English and Non-English speaking schools(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2012-03) Ali, Khalid Sayed ShalabyThis study mainly investigates the Arab students` speaking behaviour within small group work activities in English and Non-English Speaking Schools (ESS and NESS). The Non-English Speaking Schools here refer to Arab schools. The purpose is to examine whether that speaking behaviour differentiates from a context to another or not and why. Such major issues were explored through this study as the students` oral participation in class, their perspectives towards what they need and what they should do themselves to be competent speakers, as well as their attitudes towards small group work as a motivating approach for speaking. To achieve these objectives a mixed method research paradigm including class observation, questionnaires and interviews was adopted. The point was to cover the topic from all sides and create a superior research. The findings showed a discrepancy in speaking behaviour between the English and Arab group work contexts in terms of the students` oral participation and the teachers` teaching strategies. It was revealed that ESS students have more speaking and critical thinking abilities than students in Arab schools. Also, the findings showed the ESS teachers` more awareness in conducting group work activities than teachers in Arab schools too. However, the role of group work in promoting speaking was determined by all participants.Item The Impact of Social and Economic Factors on Students’ English Language Performance in EFL Classrooms in Dubai Public Secondary Schools(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2012-03) Salameh, WalidThe purpose of this study is to assess the impact of social and economic factors on students’ English language performance in EFL classrooms in Dubai public secondary schools. The design exploited in this study is a mixed methods research. One key instrument utilized in this research is statistical analysis in which descriptive figures and data-based inferences are used. Two questionnaires were designed to assess the effects of economic and social factors on students’ performance in learning the English language. The factors include the parents’ occupation, education, and financial status. Students from cycle 3 classes answered the two questionnaires reflecting on the effects perceived of those factors on their performance. Then, their responses were correlated with their grades obtained from their English language instructors and conclusions were drawn. The correlation is measured by Person’s correlation coefficient (r = 0.66) because by calculating according to the data given, it should be noted that “r” is a value that falls between -1 and 1. The result was a significant and positive correlation between the parents’ level of education, income and occupation with pupil’s educational performance. Another instrument utilized in this research was interviews. The interviewees were two male and two female teachers of English language, a male principal, and a female principal, all of whom were asked about their opinions on the relationship between students’ performance in learning the English language and their parents’ social and economic status. Overall, teachers and principals view a relationship between parents’ social and economic status and children’s performance in learning the English language. Though they justify this relationship differently, the matter of the fact remains that there is a strong correlation between socioeconomic factors and students’ performance in the field of English language learning.Item The Effectiveness of Task-Based Language Learning Approach in Teaching English as a Second Language to the Students at the Vocational Education Development Centre in Abu Dhabi, UAE(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2012-03) Al-Olaimat, Mahes AliThis study aims to investigate the effectiveness of the recently introduced task-based learning approach for language learning at the VEDC in Abu Dhabi, a centre for male students who have previously disengaged from formal learning. Questionnaires were delivered to 337 students, and 264 were completed. Twenty three teachers were provided with questionnaires and 19 were returned. In addition, two interviews with the teaching staff were conducted. The outcomes were evaluated against current thinking in the field of task-based learning and motivating disengaged learners. The introduction of the task-based learning approach was perceived as a good thing by a large majority of both students and teachers. Motivations considered to have improved by teachers and the students’ outcomes in this regard confirmed this perception. With regard to test scores, 90% of students showed an improvement in test scores of between one and thirteen marks, with a median improvement of four marks. The findings suggest that the VEDC is pursuing an appropriate teaching method to engage their students and that it is having a positive effect on the academic achievements. It has been recommended that additional evaluations are undertaken when the system has been in place for further few months. Finally, a number of future research pathways have been identified for both the VEDC in particular and for task-based learning in general. Specifically how perceptions of task-based learning are impacted by student’s learning styles and how best to deliver grammar instruction within the approach.Item Students’ and teachers’ attitudes toward the use of learners’ mother tongue in English language classrooms in UAE public high schools(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2012-03) Elmetwally, Elmetwally ElmenshawyThere are two opposing approaches regarding the impact of using learners’ mother tongue in learning English as a foreign or second language: the monolingual and bilingual approaches. The former adopts the English-only policy and sees learners’ first language (L1) as a hindrance that impedes learning English, whereas the latter considers L1 as a valuable tool that may facilitate learning English. The current study examines students’ and teachers’ attitudes toward the use of students’ L1 during English lessons in a UAE context. A mixed-methods approach was used to secure the necessary data. Questionnaires with a five-Likert scale and semi-structured interviews were conducted with both students and teachers. The research findings showed that limited and judicious use of students’ first language might be beneficial in learning English as a foreign language. The results also highlighted the drawbacks of excessive use of learners’ mother tongue, and how this might negatively affect students’ learning. In addition, the pedagogical implications of the current research findings were discussed, as well as some future research opportunities that might move this research forward.Item Classroom Interaction in Second Language Teaching and Learning in the Vocational Education Development Centre (VEDC)(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2012-03) Ibrahim, Mahmoud Elsayed HamedThe purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of classroom interaction in second language (L2) teaching and learning. The study also highlights the impact of interactional feedback in second language acquisition (SLA) and explores the relationship between classroom interaction and motivation. The main context of the research is the Vocational Education Development Centre (VEDC), UAE. The collected data of the mixed-methods approach is based on the 22 English language teachers in the VEDC. The questionnaires and the lesson observations schedule were the research instruments combining both the quantitative and qualitative research methods so as to have correspondent and corroborated results. The research starts with the introduction, the related literature review and then, the research methodology followed by the research findings and data analysis. The discussion of the findings is compared with the related literature background and finally, overall conclusion and recommendations. The findings of this study sustain the hypothesis that classroom interaction facilitates SLA and proper handling of feedback during interaction positively affects SLA. Additionally, proper patterns of classroom interaction not only contribute to L2 learning, but also affect positively the students’ motivation to be engaged in the learning process and development. This recommends the importance of interactional classroom, feedback and motivation in L2 teaching and learning.Item Teaching Arabic as a Second Language in International School in Dubai A case study exploring new perspectives in learning materials design and development(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2012-04) Sakho, Mohamed LemineTeaching Arabic as Second/Foreign Language (TASL/TAFL) is still, in many parts of the world, based on intuition and unprincipled methods. Many textbooks and materials designed for this purposes still use outdated pedagogy in Second Language teaching. Although there are some attempts to break with this negative tradition, this gap is still noticed. Since TASL/TAFL has become a global educational enterprise, there is need for sound academic research to be conducted in order to inform the profession. This study investigates ways in which teachers of Arabic as Second Language can be helped to design and develop their own teaching materials. It makes a brief review of theories and principles which are considered in designing syllabuses of other languages, mainly English, for non native learners, and shows how such theories and principles can be adapted in designing Arabic learning materials for non Arabs. The study focuses on international schools in Dubai with the assumption that conclusions reached may be adaptable in other similar context, offering insight on key issues of syllabus design, such as selection.Item Teaching English Grammar to Arabs: An Exploratory Study into the Context of University Undergraduate EFL Classrooms in the UAE(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2012-04) Eltantawi, Tariq AbdulkhaliqThis study examines university teachers’ beliefs about grammar teaching in EFL undergraduate university classrooms in the UAE. It looks at the importance of grammar instruction in this context, the optimal method of teaching grammar, the challenges faced by teachers when dealing with this language area, the effect and method of grammatical error correction in addition to the impact of Arabic language interference on learning English grammar. A survey and interviews were used for this purpose. The survey consisted of seven demographic information questions, 28 closed-items questions of 5-point Likert scale (testing the extent of agreement or disagreement of respondents with the items) and three open-ended questions. The surveyed teachers were twelve males and ten females from different backgrounds working in various universities and higher education institutions in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, five of them were individually interviewed. Although the survey was originally paper-based, fifteen surveys were completed on paper, while the other seven were filled out online. The findings revealed that the majority of teachers appreciated the importance of grammar for mastering the language skills. Although they stressed the contextualized grammar, they believed that a combination of both explicit and implicit methods would be the best according to students’ level, learning style, etc. The challenges they have faced when teaching grammar have been the use of authentic material, students’ first language interference, students’ low language level and lack of motivation, in addition to the difficulty of some structures. Arabic language interference has been seen by the teachers as a stumbling block to grammar learning. Teachers do not focus on students’ speaking error, but as the grammar method, they use the explicit and implicit techniques for correcting the written errors. They believe that correcting errors helps improve students’ language level.Item The Use of Code-switching in the Iranian Bilingual Classroom and its Impact on Second Language Acquisition: A Case Study(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2012-09) Chabokrow, RaziehThere has been a widespread interest on the use of L1 in the L2 classroom and scholars have been paying further attention to the concept of code-switching through the past few decades. Code-switching is the alternation of one language to another in speech. This study has investigated the impact of the use of code-switching on bilingual students’ L2 learning, and the reasons that prompt it. Teachers’ perception on the concept of code-switching and its presence in the bilingual classroom has also been examined. This research has been conducted at a bilingual school in Iran. A total of 30 secondary female students and two teachers have participated in this study. Observations, teacher interviews and a student questionnaire have been carried out in this research. The results of this study reveal that students code-switch for both linguistic and social reasons. In other words, code-switching has been suggested to facilitate students in their linguistic skills, as they are enabled to use the L1 when facing problems. Also, from the sociolinguistic perspective, code-switching is proved to assist students in overcoming their fear of speaking in L2. This study suggests that code-switching is beneficial to students’ second language acquisition.Item Depth and Breadth of Vocabulary Knowledge: Assessing their Roles in Reading Comprehension of High-School EFL Learners in the UAE(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2012-11) Elmasry, Hamdy IbrahimThe present study examined the relationship between breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension in an English as a foreign language (EFL) context. It was conducted through two phases, quantitative and qualitative. The first quantitative phase of the study, which included 93 high school participants, investigated the degree of correlations between two aspects of vocabulary knowledge, breadth (vocabulary size) and depth, and reading comprehension. Furthermore, it investigated whether breadth or depth was a stronger predictor of learners’ reading comprehension. It adopted three language tests: two vocabulary tests and a reading comprehension test. The second qualitative phase, which involved four subjects (a subsample of the first phase), explored how these subjects used their vocabulary depth to infer the meaning of unfamiliar words in a written text. To achieve this purpose, semi-structured interviews were employed as a method of data collection. The study has empirically shown several findings. Moderate positive intercorrelations among the scores on the three language tests were obtained. Breadth proved to be a more powerful predictor of reading comprehension scores than depth. Students with greater depth of vocabulary knowledge were more successful in inferring the meaning of unknown words while reading than those with less depth. A positive association was found between students’ vocabulary depth and their lexical inferencing ability. These results confirm the importance and the value of developing students’ breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge in EFL classrooms.Item Case Study into the impact of Exam Based Classes on students’ English Language proficiency in Secondary Technical Schools and Vocational Education Development Centre in the United Arab Emirates(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2012-11) Gad, Amr Ahmed Farouk MohammedThis study investigates the most effective type of English classes for Vocational Education Development Centre and Secondary Technical School students in the United Arab Emirates. Exam based classes, in comparison to general English classes, can be the answer to the laid back attitude of students in the two institutes because they may urge students to make more effort to learn. Exam anxiety can be used as a motivational instrument in exam classes. When long enough, exam classes develop English language proficiency in addition to developing the exam taking techniques. It can be considered that setting clear standards for the different phases of the English language learning programme, designing appropriate syllabus, adopting convenient teaching materials and preparing students to pass a skills based exam are all the components that make exam classes effective for the context of the two institutes. Data were gathered from questionnaires, interviews and observations using the triangulation approach to verify the accuracy of the collected data. The project concludes that exam based classes that prepare students for skills based exams and that practice exam format are the most effective strategy for Vocational Education Development Centre and Secondary Technical School students to feel more responsible and take initiatives towards advancing their English language skills.Item An Investigation into the Effect of the Implementation of the Integrated Curriculum on Young Omani Learners(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2012-12) Al Jarrahi, Aisha Said HamedThe current study is mainly an experimental research initiated to examine the effect of implementing the integrated curriculum approach on some selected grade two learners in Oman who in the time of this study were implementing integration in teaching English. Because a substantial body of research encourages using the integrated curriculum approach where subjects are taught in relation to each other, this study was designed to address the prevalent issues related to the integrated curriculum approach. This study emphasizes the need for further exploration of the factors account for the achievement differences observed when using two instructional approaches in Omani schools. This research is also pursued to improve the efficiency of using integrated curriculum in Omani schools and to ascertain which educational practices and means promote better learning. Among the significant findings were: 1. The current study shows compelling evidence that children who received a two year education of integrated curriculum approach demonstrate greater achievement in both the pre- test and post-test of the study than their peers who received the „isolated- subject approach‟. 2. It is also indicated that the non IC students performed better in the post-test compared to the pre-test. 3. A positive attitude of selected teachers toward using the IC was also proved. Teachers are willing to continue implement the IC with young learners in the future. 4. The findings of the current study highlight a few implications for practitioners and users of instructional approaches in classroomsItem The Effect of Parental Involvement on ESL Students’ Achievement and Classroom Behaviour(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2013-03) Askar, Ayman Hassan HamedInvolving parents in education is one of the most critical issues that directly impact the educational process in the UAE, which has recently witnessed a major education revolution in all trends. Teaching English as a second language (ESL) has always been the main focus of interest for all Emirati education policy-makers. The current research, therefore, casts light on the influence of parental involvement (PI) on students’ ESL learning achievement and classroom behaviour. Obstacles that hinder the effective involvement of parents in the Emirati school society are also explored with a view to paving the way for further research studies in the future. Implications for future classroom practice are explained in the light of the research findings. Observation, questionnaires and achievement tests are the research qualitative and quantitative data collection tools. The study includes 78 male participants who are randomly selected among seventh graders on a mixed-ability group basis. Report cards are weekly sent to parents to involve them in their children’s education. A positive correlation is proved between the research dependent and independent variables. The results obtained are in line with many empirical studies. Finally, the research calls for the joint efforts of the school, family and community to bridge the home- school gap as PI is everybody’s responsibility. The research could be of a great help to Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) in its quest for education reform as a pioneering study in the UAE society.Item Analysis of Two Critical Friends’ Feedback in light of Heron’s Six Category of Interventions: A Case Study(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2013-03) Sari, AylaThis study examines two critical friends’ feedback sessions in a learning environment in the UAE. Based on Heron’s six category interventions, this study explores the merits of critical friendship as an alternative feedback style. It also assesses whether Heron’s interventions adequately describe critical friends’ interactions and, if so, whether the descriptors can be used to improve critical friends’ feedback styles. Qualitative methods of research have been used to analyse this case study. The two critical friends’ feedback transcripts, their interview transcripts plus their own interpretations have been analysed. Research findings reveal that critical friends can be a better alternative for giving feedback to colleagues in a learning environment as they can release tension and critique at the same time, which affects the outcome of feedback sessions positively. The study has also revealed that Heron’s six category interventions do clearly describe critical friends’ verbal behaviours. The findings have also showed that critical friends can identify their feedback styles with the help of Heron’s framework and so improve their feedback styles.Item The Study of the English Article System Errors Made by Secondary School Students in the United Arab Emirates(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2013-04) Adway, Amer EmranThe study aims at investigating the errors made by grade 12 students in the use of definite and indefinite articles in one of the secondary schools for boys in Umm Al Quwain (UAQ) Educational Zone . The English articles system can be troublesome for Arab ESL/EFL learners because Arabic language has only a definite article , but it lacks indefinite article. Whereas English language has both definite article and indefinite article. The study attempted to find out the most frequent errors and suggest the teaching and learning strategies need to be applied to address these challenges. However, it is found that most frequent errors made by the sample of the study are intralingual errors which are caused by the wrong and traditional teaching methods of teaching the article system .Therefore, some pedagogical applications were suggested that could help teachers of English to improve students’ acquisition of the English article system. It is hoped and recommended that the findings of this study will be utilized in preparing drills to help students improve their ability to use the definite and indefinite articles more appropriately.Item The Effect of Oral Feedback in Secondary Classrooms on Arab Female Students’ Acquisition of English Past Tense(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2013-04) Saad, Doa MostafaThe present study investigated the effect of oral feedback on Arab female students’ uptake and acquisition of English regular and irregular past tense in the context of secondary EFL classrooms in the UAE. It adopted a mixed methods approach in which qualitative and quantitative data was collected. In the qualitative phase of the study, the interaction between 2 EFL teachers and 48 EFL high-school female students in fourteen lessons was video recorded. The frequency and distribution of the teachers’ feedback types as well as the students’ uptake were identified and coded using Lyster and Ranta’s (1997) corrective feedback model. Video recordings were followed by stimulated-recall interviews with four participants from each class to check their noticing of the teachers’ corrective feedback. Interviews with the participating teachers were also conducted. The quantitative phase included measuring the students’ past tense accuracy rate in three tests: pretest, posttest, and delayed test. The findings of this study indicate that a variety of feedback types was used in the EFL classroom with prompts (72.7%) exceeding the number of recasts (23.3%). The study also shows that elicitations and metalinguistic feedback were the most successful in eliciting student-generated repair with a 64.7% and 44% respectively. Recasts were found to be the least noticeable with only 12% resulting in successful uptake. Interviews with students reveal that prompts were the most noticeable and favored feedback type. Results of one-way repeated measures ANOVA show an increase in the overall past tense accuracy scores across time. A significant difference was found between the regular past tense scores of the class which predominantly received prompts. The results of this study confirm the positive impact of feedback on the acquisition of English past tense.