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THE ESL TEACHERS’ WILLINGNESS TO COMMUNICATE IN ENGLISH Lo, Yueh Yea
Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics Vol 7, No 3 (2018): Vol. 7 No. 3, January 2018
Publisher : Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.17509/ijal.v7i3.9809

Abstract

Willingness to communicate (WTC) as introduced by McCroskey and Bear (1985) has developed and been perceived by many as a critical field. Unfortunately, there is a noticeable gap in research on the willingness to communicate (WTC) in English among ESL teachers in the Malaysian context. This study aims to investigate the ESL teachers’ willingness to communicate in English in terms of gender and school locations. The four constructs of communication in WTC are group discussions, interpersonal, public, and talking in meetings. Through both criterion and convenience sampling, 250 ESL teachers from twenty-five schools were chosen for this research. Survey questionnaire with a total of 20 items adopted from McCroskey (1992) was used as the data collection instrument. Findings reveal that ESL teachers' willingness to communicate in English is generally high and that the teachers were more willing to converse and exchange ideas orally in English during the meeting rather than in group or public. Female participants were significantly different in their overall willingness to communicate as they were more willing to communicate in groups and public. The within-group comparison also shows that school locations (urban and rural) affect ESL teachers' willingness to communicate in English. The findings also suggest that schools should encourage more ESL teachers to participate in activities such as debates, drama, public speaking, English language clubs/society, and empower them by providing professional development workshops or training.
The use of metadiscourse in academic writing by Malaysian first-year ESL doctoral students Lo, Yueh Yea; Othman, Juliana; Lim, Jia Wei
Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics Vol 10, No 1 (2020): Vol. 10, No. 1, May 2020
Publisher : Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.17509/ijal.v10i1.25069

Abstract

Metadiscourse refers to linguistic items, which functions to establish a connection with imagined readers of a text (Hyland, 2004). The use of metadiscourse has received much attention in various contexts, yet, little works are focusing on disciplinary metadiscourse, that has been carried out. To address this gap, this study explored, described, and compared the use of disciplinary metadiscourse by eight Malaysian first-year ESL doctoral students across four areas of study in education. The study reported in this article focuses on development or changes in writing over time. This study is quantitative in nature with a corpus-based approach utilizing AntConc (3.4.4) to examine the frequency of three dimensions of academic discourse in their writing, namely textual, engagement, and evaluative The results of this analysis show that (i) the engagement dimension (3.1%) was the lowest of all three dimensions in written work, reinforcing the argument that first-year ESL doctoral students are less experienced at using textual metadiscourse resources, and (ii) frequency of all three dimensions of academic discourse in their writing differs across time between first written drafts to the final written drafts. These are first-year ESL doctoral students, who are writing in different fields of educational research. The implication is that teaching and learning of disciplinary metadiscourse should involve explicit explanation, demonstration, and practice of its use, and development in the academic writing process.Academic writing; corpus analysis; ESL doctoral students; metadiscourse
ENHANCING ESL NOVICE TEACHERS’ PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: ROLES OF PEERS IN OBSERVATIONAL LEARNING THROUGH PEER MENTORING Hamdan, Norhaiza; Othman, Juliana; Lo, Yueh Yea
LLT Journal: A Journal on Language and Language Teaching Vol 27, No 2 (2024): October 2024
Publisher : English Education Study Programme of Sanata Dharma University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.24071/llt.v27i2.8411

Abstract

The transition from pre-service training to real-world classrooms can be daunting for novice English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers. A qualitative multiple-case study approach was employed to determine the impact of peer mentoring on ESL teachers’ professional development through mutual classroom observations. Specifically, peer mentors’ guidance on novice ESL teachers in developing effective instructions was appraised by applying Lortie’s (1975) apprenticeship of observation. The data were collected through interviews with three novice ESL teachers from public primary schools who participated in peer mentoring partnerships, classroom observations, and participants’ personal journal entries. Thematic analysis was performed, which demonstrated that peer mentoring facilitated a) enhanced instructional practices, b) a shift in the novices’ mindset and c) a collaborative interaction in the professional learning community. The findings posited that peer mentoring provided an alternative observational learning approach for novice ESL teachers in terms of effective instructional strategies from colleagues while obtaining specific feedback on professional development. Resultantly, a nuanced comprehension of the approach employed by novice ESL teachers to enhance instructional expertise via peer support was provided. Practical implications were contributed to existing ESL training programs, novice ESL teachers, and educational institutions.
Thai EFL university students views on the effectiveness of Duolingo for enhancing listening and speaking skills Lo, Yueh Yea; Shah, Shanina Sharatol Ahmad; Hasim, Zuwati; Senom, Fatiha; Saad, Mohd Rashid Mohd; Thienpermpool, Pateera
Studies in English Language and Education Vol 12, No 1 (2025)
Publisher : Universitas Syiah Kuala

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.24815/siele.v12i1.40517

Abstract

The current study aims to assess 150 Thai English as a Foreign Language (EFL) first-year university students perspectives on the efficacies of Duolingo, a popular mobile language application in improving English listening and speaking skills. Given the growing importance of mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) in enhancing language proficiency, this study investigates Duolingos potential to address the common challenges faced by EFL learners in developing these essential skills. The data were collected using a quantitative method, namely a structured questionnaire, to record participants attitudes towards Duolingo and corresponding experiences. Simultaneously, Gibson and Browns (2009) thematic technique was employed to analyse the open-ended responses. The results show that a high Duolingo usage level was discovered at 32.0% daily usage and 42.0% several times weekly, which underscored Duolingo integration into linguistic learning journeys. The participants also pinpointed crucial benefits, such as affordability, structured learning, convenience, diverse content, interactivity, audio exercises, and adaptive technologies. Nevertheless, 26.0% of the students described several limitations, including audio quality discrepancies, insufficient real-life conversational practices, and limited topic coverage. Furthermore, a significant gender distribution was demonstrated, with 70.7% females and 29.3% males. The findings posit that female students tended to or possessed higher accessibility to language learning technologies, including Duolingo. The findings reflect broader societal factors impacting educational preferences and opportunities. The study outcomes also contributed to educators and developers to improve digital tools for diverse language learning requirements.
Experiences of ESL students and instructors using Grammarly in academic writing Lo, Yueh Yea
Studies in English Language and Education Vol 12, No 3 (2025): In Progress
Publisher : Universitas Syiah Kuala

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.24815/siele.v12i3.40518

Abstract

Incorporating artificial intelligence writing assistants (AIWAs) into academic writing provides opportunities to improve higher educational formative assessment. The current study seeks to examine the effectiveness of Grammarly, an AI writing assistant (AIWA), in providing instantaneous and personalised feedback to English as a Second Language (ESL) graduate students. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with 30 graduate students and five writing instructors with more than three years of teaching experience in graduate writing at a Malaysian public university. The results demonstrated that Grammarly enhanced student motivation, engagement, and writing proficiency through constant and detailed feedback compared to conventional approaches with time constraints and high subjectivity. However, the findings also highlighted limitations in the variety of feedback provided by Grammarly particularly in addressing nuanced academic writing needs and tailoring suggestions for complex content. Furthermore, Grammarly could support self-regulated learning while decreasing writing anxiety. This finding contributes to the ongoing discourse on AI incorporation in education and employing a balanced method in incorporating AI feedback with human oversights. This limitation underscores the importance of using Grammarly as a complementary tool rather than a standalone solution. Summarily, incorporating AIWAs responsibly can assist in providing a more conducive learning context for students future academic and professional endeavours.