Dissertations for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

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The Alignment of Beliefs on TBLT and Student Motivation: A Case Study in a Private High School in Dubai
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2020-10) Yaghi, Sherin
This case study takes a mixed methods approach to examine the alignment of beliefs on Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) in light of student motivation. This study is situated at a private school in Dubai and it focuses on the high school section. The data collection was done through data source triangulation and method triangulation, as it uses a questionnaire to obtain students’ opinions and interviews to gather the opinions of teachers and senior leaders. The overall number of participants is 46, consisting of 40 high school students from ninth to twelfth grade, 4 teachers and 2 senior leaders. The qualitative data was analysed through inductive coding, whereas the responses to the questionnaire were obtained through quantitative analyses. The data findings represent discrepancies in opinions, not only between the students and educators, but also within the educational staff and leaders. It also brought forward the lack of knowledge that principals generally have on TBLT and their indifference towards the internal motivation of learners. This study concludes with evidence that students’ and educators’ beliefs are, in fact, skewed. Finally, specific limitations of this study are outlined and implications for future research are brought forward.
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, Ayla
This 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.
Analyzing Types of Writing Errors: An investigation of L1 Impact and Complexity of L2 on Middle School ESL Arab Students’ English Writing in Dubai National School, UAE
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2016-11) ALKHATIB, ABDALLAH HUSSEIN HASAN
Writing for ESL learners is considered a complicated process which requires a linguistic analysis and synthesis. ESL students are affected by numerous factors, such as interference from their mother tongue and complexity of L2 writing system rules during the process of English writing. This study highlights ESL learners’ writing problems by analyzing the causes of their errors in writing English. To achieve the objectives of this study, the researcher used samples of English writings of 149 Arab ESL middle school students in Dubai National School in Dubai, UAE. In order to categorize the errors in their writing, the study depends on the following types of errors, namely: grammatical, lexical/ semantic, writing mechanics and word order. The students completed writing 250-word argumentative essays in 55 minutes in classroom. The researcher also presents a number of recommendations regarding the educational curriculum and teaching methods and a need to focus on the type of English writing teaching for UAE nationals in addition to recommendations for future research. The researcher examined the existing literature related to this area to investigate the impact of Arabic and complexity of English writing system on the quality of ESL writing of English. The researcher uses cross-linguistic and inter-linguistic theories as an approach in investigating ESL learners’ writing errors. However, there are other linguistic causes of errors (e.g. ignorance of rules, negative overgeneralization, erroneous assumptions about the language, etc.) and others which occur beyond the linguistic system (e.g. type of curriculum, teaching methods, motivation, learning strategies, etc.) Regarding the writing errors Emirati ESL learners in the current study made, grammatical errors make the most dominant error category (35%). Writing mechanics errors make (26.2%) and come in the second place. Finally, word order errors come in the 3rd place (25.7%). The study proved that L1 transfer, whether due to modern standard Arabic (MSA) or colloquial Arabic, and complexity of L2 writing system are the main sources of errors in English writing they made.
Attitudes of Students and Teachers Towards Using Technology in Cooperative Learning Activities in ESL Classes
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2021-01) Mostafa, Shorouk
The current study aims to explore the attitudes of high school students and their teachers towards using technology in cooperative learning activities during ESL classes. For this purpose, the TAM model was used to design surveys to explore the stakeholders’ attitudes. The study is conducted in an American school in the UAE, and the researcher adopted a quantitative method that involves two weeks of technology intervention in a cooperative learning setting. A survey is distributed to teachers and students to explore their attitudes. The findings suggest that most teachers and students have positive opinions about integrating technology into ESL cooperative learning activities.
Better Speed Better Comprehension: Introducing “Integrated Reading Comprehension Strategy
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2018-10) ABDULRAHMAN, NISHAD CHATHAMKULAM
Reading skills are assessed in many standardized English language proficiency tests, such as IELTS, TOEFL, FCE, CAE and CPE. Therefore, test-takers are required to employ effective strategies to perform well in the reading components of these tests. Taking this into account, this study introduces ‘Integrated Reading Comprehension Strategy’ (IRCS) and examines its effectiveness on participants’ reading comprehension, reading speed and reading test-anxiety. The study adopts a non-equivalent quasi-experimental embedded mixed-methods design and uses a sample of 30 teachers selected through convenience sampling from a private Indian school in Ajman, UAE. These participants are divided into two almost equal groups (experimental & control). Both quantitative and qualitative data are collected by means of pre and post-reading comprehension tests, pre and post-reading test-anxiety surveys and semi-structured post-production interviews. After three weeks of intervention, the quantitative data are analyzed using descriptive (frequency count, percentage & effect size) as well as inferential (independent & paired samples t tests) statistics, whereas content analysis is used for the purpose of analyzing the qualitative data. The findings of the study indicate that IRCS has no statistically significant effects on participants’ reading comprehension and reading speed although all the participants interviewed agree that IRCS enable them to read better and faster. On the other hand, the results of both quantitative and qualitative analyses reveal that IRCS plays a significant role in reducing participants’ reading test-anxiety levels. The study thoroughly discusses these findings, expounds its limitations, and offers suggestions for teachers, course material writers and future researchers.
A Blended Language Learning Model: Adolescent Learners' Attitudes towards it and its Effectiveness in the Teaching and Learning of L2 Writing
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2014-04) Elorbany, Mazin Ibrahim
A blended learning approach is a new concept in the field of modern education which combines face-to-face and online instruction, and is considered an essential aspect of education advancement in the current century (Thorne, 2003). This dissertation uses a mixed method research design so as to collect qualitative and quantitative data required in investigating three main areas related to English language teaching (ELT) and to adolescent learners (12-16 years) who learn English as a foreign language (EFL). First, it provides a description for a blended language learning model that combines face-to-face and online modes of instruction. Second, the study investigates students’ attitudes towards implementing blended language learning approach. Third, it assesses the effectiveness of this approach on improving students’ second language (L2) writing levels. In general, research on ‘blended learning’ that studied the difference between traditional and blended learning in foreign language does not indicate significant differences in learning output although showed positive students’ attitude toward s this type of instruction. Nonetheless, the studies conducted on ‘blended learning’ did not include adequate description of interaction and activities in this learning environment as they did not have sufficient description of its features like teaching and learning materials, teaching methods, types of interaction, and roles of participants. Moreover, some of these studies did not base their work on the literature that focuses on students and teachers’ attitudes. Overall, the study provides a description of a blended learning model following the guidelines suggested by Neumeier (2005). Moreover, the findings of the study show that the adolescent students (14-16 years) had positive attitudes towards using blended language learning approach. It was also found that class learned by a blended learning approach had a significant improvement in students’ writing scores comparing with the one that learned by traditional learning.
A Brain Based Approach for Teaching English Language Vocabulary to ESL Learners: An Investigation Based on Arabic-speaking Learners
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2013-05) Nafa, Mahmoud Sultan
This dissertation focuses on the low attainment of L2, second language, vocabulary acquisition by grade 12 Arab learners of English studying at a public secondary school in Dubai. Learning vocabulary is the core of teaching and learning foreign languages as learners cannot fully master the L2 skills such as listening, speaking, reading and writing without having a highly advanced lexical competence. Accordingly, this dissertation implements the brain based approaches and strategies in order to enrich L2 vocabulary teaching and learning processes. In addition, it adopts the mixed research method that is the use of both the quantitative and the qualitative approaches for exploring the problem of the students’ L2 vocabulary low attainment by grade 12 Arab learners at Al- Maarif Secondary School in Dubai. Therefore, the findings and the recommendations of this dissertation have a practical pedagogical importance as they present practical brain based teaching methodologies that enhance the teachers’ and the learners’ experiences of teaching and learning L2 vocabulary. To conclude, the key findings and the empirical studies of this study show that the brain based approach is proved to be effective in treating the problem of L2 vocabulary low attainment. Markedness has also been proven to be a useful analytic tool in analyzing the current situation of teaching and learning L2 Vocabulary. Thus, the recommendations of this dissertation can be implemented on all ELS students all over the world due to the universality and the practicality of the brain based approaches and the markedness framework.
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 Mohammed
This 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.
The challenges facing E-Learning in educational institutions: Case study of the Secondary Technical School (STS)
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2017-07) ZERHOUNI, ZOHEIR
The purpose of this research is to explore the challenges of E-Learning in the contact of the Secondary technical school (STS). The research questions the E-learning status of the UAE, the current challenges/barriers that E-learning is facing in the UAE and attempts to propose suggestions to make further progress in e-learning in the UAE. The research, thus, deploys a mixed methodology (quantitative and qualitative) to be distributed among teachers, administrative, directors, teachers and supervisors in the STS. A questionnaire was designed to explore the cultural and technical challenges facing STS E-Learning program. The questionnaire was distributed among 75 participants from whom we collected only 50 completed answers. In addition, the interview was distributed among 5 administrative personnel. The research found that the E-learning program follows a strategic philosophy which entails the spread of E-learning to all school levels. Also, E-learning philosophy encourages students to pull information to themselves to a high degree. The research also found that the directors and students are comfortably incorporating technology-based tools in their daily life. E-learning directs all resources to generate learning. The research also found that there is a technical team who helps drive the initiative and oversees its implementation and administration. Respondents’ answers gave high value for the availability of technical teams in the STS and their role in facilitating the learnability and teachability processes. The research has some limitations pertinent to the sample size which was rather small to give a generalization for the results. The research suggests implementing e-learning in an environment that is in harmony with the traditional learning so as not to dispense with the traditional, but complement each other, especially children at an early age so as not to affect other aspects such as the decline in the level of handwriting and adopting a unified Arab project to provide textbooks with electronic copies, including training programs from theoretical questions, pictures, videos and slides.
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 Hamed
The 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.
A Comparative Study of Colour Metaphors in English and Arabic: Implications for Second Language Acquisition and Translation
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2017-02) Ibrahim, Mahmoud Mohamed ElMahdi
The aim of this descriptive comparison study is to analyze the colour metaphorical terms used in both English and Arabic. This study ponders upon the process of construing colours across cultures, specifically English and Arabic culture. The researcher chooses the six basic colours (white, black, red, green, yellow, and blue) to uncover the conceptual meaning underpinning the interaction between culture and language. The researcher approaches the colour terms in Arabic and English without any preconceived data. Additionally, the researcher investigates the ‘X-phemisms’ connotation of the six basic colour terms in both languages since the colour system of both is not identical. The results of this investigation helps the researcher to identify the most frequent type of ‘X-phemisms’ in Arabic and English. The researcher identified three different meanings for each colour term according to the cognitive cultural categorization (Xing, 2009). The basic meaning, the extended meaning and the additional/abstract meaning. The results of this comparative study indicates that although the basic meaning of colours are overlapping in English and Arabic, but most of the extended meaning of colours are culture-specific. Those results also confirms the belief that our understanding includes metaphorical forms which combine all of the influences (historical, cultural, linguistic, bodily, perceptual and economic). Those multi-facet influences construct the fabric of human meaningful experiences. The pedagogical aim of this study is to move the language learners and translators up to a higher level where they can be fully fluent and culturally aware of their target language. This study has two-fold significance. The first is to enhance knowledge of universals, variations and historical development in the field of colour terminology. In addition, it contributes to the current knowledge in the field of cross-cultural studies on language and culture, especially with regard to idiomatic expressions. The second is to give a vivid descriptive and comparative analysis of colour metaphors in both English and Arabic. It also investigates the idea of how colour metaphors are interrelated to languages, cultures and cognition.
A Comparative Study of Students’ Experiences of Formative and Summative Assessment Types and Students’ Perspectives about Using Them in EFL High Schools in Turkey
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2018-06) SEN, SIMA PIRIL
This comparative study reports on the analysis of students’ experiences of summative and formative assessment types in order to come up with new insights based on the probable ways of assessing students in the most efficient and effective ways in EFL classrooms in Turkey. Recent literature was surveyed and the research questions were underpinned accordingly. Qualitative methodology is applied which gives the researcher the opportunities in the most suitable way to assess the learning process with full insights. This systematic research purports to fill the gap in the area of summative and formative assessments in SLA and their effects on students which confines itself to the high schools in Turkey. Data recordings, observations, surveys and semi-structured interviews were used as the reliable tools to measure the positive and negative sides of these assessments in the eyes of the students. Various findings were carefully gathered and discussed according to the process of the investigation and recommendations were supplied by the researcher in the end. The present study overall demonstrates that after having conducted the lessons in two different high schools in Turkey, the formative assessment is favoured by the students more than the summative assessment in terms of many parameters outlined in this research. Students generally tend to be more productive, creative and less stressful throughout the process when assessed in formative ways. Also the way how they are assessed in the process of learning affects their final marks at the end of the course, which highlights the point that students who are assessed formatively during the process have more motivation and they feel more comfortable for the final exams. This supports the idea that formative assessment strategies help students achieve in summative assessment.
Comparing the effectiveness of concept-based curricula and video-based curricula in ESL primary classrooms
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2022-07) AMER, HEBA;
Various countries around the world have benefited greatly from the technological advancements in the education sector. Modern technologies provide teachers the ability to set up new capabilities that can support not only their subject areas, but also various aspects of education. In the past, the use of video was just for entertainment and the teacher used to play videos that had nothing to do with educational content, and this is known as negative consumption. Currently, the video has become the teacher’s partner in explaining lessons and curricula through a reliable, effective, and attractive technology that makes lessons successful and allows students to comprehend the information more easily. The purpose of this research is to examine how digital videos can be used in education and to measure the effectiveness of digital videos on students from the perspective of teachers as technical integrators. Twenty classroom observations were conducted in grade 5 classrooms to examine the effectiveness of concept-based compared to video-based learning for teaching English grammar. Additionally, eighteen English teachers were interviewed in semi-structured interviews as part of the research. Methods and Procedures: In grade 5 classrooms, twenty observations were carried out and eighteen teachers were interviewed to determine what impact video-based curriculum applications had on the English primary classroom while studying English grammar lessons and how teachers viewed video-based curricula in comparison to content-based curricula. Outcomes: The findings from this study demonstrate that the students who studied using video-based learning as a learning approach, accompanied by discussion, performed significantly better than those who studied with concept-based learning in understanding English language grammar. In light of these findings, using video in the classroom is recommended for providing information to students in an easy and innovative manner.
Cooperative Learning and Second Language Acquisition: Learner Empowerment in the UAE
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2016-02) Iyer, Rekha Venkatraman
The goal of this small scale study was to determine whether the Jigsaw II strategy, a cooperative learning methodology, could empower learners in the UAE by equipping them with the requisite skills for second language acquisition. The cooperative learning methodology has been much lauded for being in possession of a wide variety of beneficial features and various studies have identified this mode as an ideal route for learner empowerment. As this mode of learning has found favour with both sociocultural and cognitive approaches to learning, this study was designed to gauge its effect from the viewpoint of both these approaches. The participants in the study were 32 Grade 5 students from a private school in Dubai. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods was used for data collection and analysis. While the qualitative analysis of the data provided evidence for the activation of the learners’ attentional processes, the independent samples t test did not reveal any significant effect of the variation in group type on activation of these processes. The qualitative analysis further revealed that the Jigsaw II strategy’s tasks encouraged both negotiation of meaning and peer support instances, fostering modified conversations, culminating in co-construction of knowledge. The paired t test revealing a statistically significant improvement in critical thinking abilities assessed by the open-ended questions and the positive results derived from the qualitative analysis of the data regarding the learners’ thinking processes, suggest that this strategy could be an effective technique to activate both basic and higher-order thinking skills. Although the paired t test related to the activation of critical thinking abilities assessed by the multiple-choice questions disclosed a mean increase in scores post-test, this was considered statistically insignificant. However, based on the evidence indicating that this small improvement is especially due to the low-achievers, the Jigsaw II strategy merits further investigation as to its effectiveness in this area.
A Corpus-based Discourse Analysis of Grammatical Cohesive Devices Used in Expository Essays Written by Emirati EFL Learners at Al Ghazali School, Abu Dhabi
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2014-03) Abdelreheim, Hussein Maghawry Hussein
This descriptive study aimed at investigating eighth-grade Emirati EFL learners‟ familiarity with employing grammatical cohesive devices (GCDs) in generating expository texts. A learner corpus sample comprising 30 written expositions was analyzed according to Halliday and Hasan‟s (1976) grammatical cohesion framework, by using the web-based software concordance toolWmatrix3. The mixed-methods research design was conducted to identify the most frequently utilized GCDs in terms of numbers and percentages, and to disclose the difficulties encountered by the learners in using these linking ties. The results obtained showed that the learners employed all four types of grammatical cohesion: reference, substitution, ellipsis, and conjunction, despite of the considerable differences regarding their frequencies in the texts. They relied heavily on conjunctive devices (57%), followed by referential ones (35%), whereas elliptical and substitutional devices represented only 6.5% and 1.5%. respectively of the total usage of GCDs. Furthermore, the learners employed all sub-types of grammatical cohesion, often with a focus on specific devices within each sub-type. However, 19% of the devices used in the text showed inappropriateness. The qualitative analysis indicated that the problems encountered by the learners were mainly misusing, excessively using, and inadequately using some GCDs in many paragraphs. Some pedagogical implications were provided to help EFL teachers enhance learners‟ skills in generating more cohesive written discourse. These included:blending reading with writing activities, teaching GCDs explicitly, helping learners to think in English while writing, exploiting writing as a thinking tool, and using corpora in learning and teaching practices.
A Cross-cultural study of pragmatically requestive speech act realization patterns
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2014-01) Elsayed, Elsayed Mahmoud
Since there have been few pragmatic studies, especially at the local level, that have dealt with the adolescents, and since the language and culture are inseperable, this study examines pragamtically requestive speech acts realizations patterns between English native and non-native adolescents in Dubai, UAE and Ismailia, Egypt. It looks at how the speech acts’ requesting strategies differ across different cultures in terms of the social distance, size of imposition and power. It also looks at the types of politeness strategies, which could increase or decrease the degree of the imposion on the hearer(s), employed by the two groups in terms of the aforementioned sociolinguistic variables. The subjects of this study were divided into two groups. the first group consists of 30 English native adolescents from UK, US and Canada while the second group consists of 30 English non-native adolescents from Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Iran, Malaysia, India, Germany and Philippines. The study have utilized the Discourse Completion Tests (DCTs) distributed to the voluntary students. It revealed significant differences between the two groups in employing the request’s strategies. Additionally, it revealed significant differences between them in employing the politeness strategies. This study provides implications to the students, teachers, educational syllabus designers, decision makers, authors for preventing pragmatic failure/ error to happen and for facilitating effective communications across cultures, too.
A Cross-Cultural Study of the Use of Hedging Markers and Dogmatism in Postgraduate Writing of Native and Non-native Speakers of English
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2016-09) Mohamed, Rawy Abdelrahman Sabet
This study investigates the frequency of hedged propositions in academic writing, which are produced by both native (NSs) and non-native speakers (NNSs). To this end, two corpora, which represent native and non-native writings respectively, are compiled and investigated using contrastive interlanguage analysis (CIA). This computer-aided investigation, which involves comparing quantitative and qualitative data, is adopted to identify what the most frequent hedging markers, used by native and non-native writers, are, and whether there is any significant difference between the frequencies of these markers in both writings. It also intends to investigate the distributional pattern of these hedges across the paper sections. This research is an attempt to fill a gap in literature, as there is a paucity of studies written on corpus analysis in the Middle East, so this study seems to be one of the few sizeable corpora of tertiary English writing from the Middle East. The findings suggest that non-native speakers underuse hedges and the quality of these hedges is usually not so high as those of the native speakers. The study findings also indicate that the lexical density of non-native speakers’ writing is slightly less in comparison to that of the native speakers. Moreover, while there is an overuse of modal auxiliaries with root meanings in the non-native’s corpus, the number of intensifiers, especially probability adverbs, is less than that of the native speakers. Finally, there is an overuse of all-round boosters in the non-native speakers’ corpus. All these deficiencies lead to either excessively emphatic or overly tentative writing. The researcher concluded that many of these language problems are teaching-induced or due to L1 transfer. The study ends with recommendations for future research.
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 Ibrahim
The 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.
Different Qualities of Effective EFL Teachers
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2016-05) Badshah, Israr Ullah Yar
This research aimed to explore the different qualities of effective English teachers as perceived by secondary grades EFL teachers and students (9th-12th) from two Pakistani secondary schools located in different emirates of the U.A.E. Mixed method research design was utilized by the researcher for data collection. In the qualitative part, structured interviews were utilized for 20 EFL teachers and 10 students while for the non-participant classroom observations 10 interviewed EFL teachers were selected from the two schools. For the quantitative part, a five-point Likert scale questionnaire was administered to 180 secondary grades students in the two schools. Qualities of effective EFL teachers highlighted by EFL teachers and students were mainly in the context of their own language teaching and learning difficulties. EFL teachers maintained that apart from having command of the subject-matter knowledge, effective EFL teachers should also focus on improving students’ communicative skills. Maintaining proper classroom discipline was also emphasized upon by EFL teachers. Students described effective EFL teachers as those who utilize different strategies to solve language difficulties of mixed-ability students. They emphasized on EFL teachers’ own strong communicative skills as well as improving students’ communicative competence. Students also mentioned classroom management as a basic requirement for effective EFL teachers. The outcomes of this research study suggest that there might be no prescribed set of rules which EFL teachers should follow for enhancing their teaching effectiveness. It also might not be possible for commonplace EFL teachers to equip themselves with all the different characteristics of effective EFL teachers mentioned in the research literature. The results of this research study further suggest that EFL teachers may enhance their teaching effectiveness by utilizing specific strategies for solving the learning difficulties of their students as well as understanding the specific context in which EFL teaching and learning take place.
Discourse Analysis of Lexical Cohesive Devices in Shakespearean Sonnets: Exploring their Significant Functions and Roles in ESL Poetry Classes
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2024-03) EL MAJANINI, DINA BADR; Dr Emad Abu Ayyash
This study investigates the function of lexical cohesive devices in Shakespeare's sonnets and aims to transfer their significance to ESL poetry classes. Employing a qualitative approach and manual discourse analysis, the study explores the correlation between the usage of these devices and the overall expression and quality of poems. Grounded in the interpretivism paradigm, the research utilizes Halliday and Hasan's 1976 model of cohesive devices as an analytical framework. Through purposive sampling of four sonnets, the study delves into how lexical cohesive devices emphasize key themes, enhance rhythm and flow, improve clarity and fluency, create cohesion between adjacent words, and add variety to language. Moreover, the research reveals how these devices contribute to creating contrast and tension, adding specificity and detail, illustrating relationships between components, enhancing descriptive detail, and establishing symmetry within the sonnets. The findings underscore the pedagogical significance of understanding and teaching cohesive devices in poetry writing. Furthermore, the study introduces a practical and innovative pedagogical tool—the graphic organizer—that bridges the gap between theoretical understanding and practical application in poetry education. This research contributes significantly to the field by offering concrete strategies for educators to empower students in their poetic endeavors.

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