Sustaining Short-Term Exchange Students’ Willingness to Communicate in Second Language in Multilingual Classrooms

This study explores changes in willingness to communicate in a second language (L2 WTC) inside multilingual classrooms among short-term exchange students. Data were collected from eight Chinese exchange students studying in three universities in Canada and two instructors teaching in one of these universities through in-depth interviews. Qualitative content analysis was conducted and three patterns of WTC changes were found: positive, negative, and no apparent changes. Three main factors underlying these changes were identified, which include students’ perceptions of values in speaking up, sense of fitting in, and classroom environment. The two instructors from the host university provided positive comments and supportive suggestions regarding international students’ L2 WTC and oral participation in multilingual classrooms. This study highlights the importance of sustaining short-term exchange students’ L2 WTC through concerted efforts from students and teachers for maximizing the effectiveness of study abroad programs.

LARO (Learners Active Response to Operant) lessons in improving the basic science process skills of elementary pupils

Science is regularly taught in ways that make the data unessential, theoretical, and disengaged from students' experiences. Although most students do anticipate to learn science, they regularly see it as being presented in uninteresting ways. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of using LARO (Learners Active Response to Operant) lessons in teaching Science and their roles in promoting students' basic science process skills (BSPS). This action research employed a descriptive research design. Thirty Grade IV pupils in a special education-gifted talented (SPED-GT) elementary school in Zambales, Philippines, were selected using convenience sampling. A parallel test was used to determine the level of BSPS before and after the application of LARO lessons. Results revealed that before the utilization of LARO lessons, it was found out that some of the pupils had advance knowledge and they were under the average level of basic science process skills. Throughout the use of educational games, there is an improvement in pupils' performance on their oral participation as recorded in their daily recitation logs. It only shows that the pupils are eagerly motivated. After the use of LARO, pupils improved from average to outstanding level of performance of their BSPS in the post-test. It was revealed by the result of the t-test that LARO lessons were effective in enhancing the basic science process skills of pupils. The researchers recommend the use of LARO lessons as a technique to improve the pupil's BSPS.

Factors generating reluctance in the oral participation in an english class

Objective: present the main factors causing reluctance of a target group to partake in English oral activities. Method: the techniques used for this inquiry were the classroom observation and the interview; in addition, a questionnaire was applied to the students, from which a focus group was drawn. Results: the results indicated that these students were aware of their limitations regarding the lack of vocabulary and a solid pronunciation. Discussion y Conclusion: this study confirmed that anxiety, low motivation for communication, low self-confidence in learning a foreign language, the teacher’s method to monitor oral activities, the fear of making mistakes and the fact of being ridiculed by peers are some shared factors affecting these students’ oral participation.

Suggestions to Increase Oral Participation in an at-risk Chilean Public Primary EFL Classroom

The current study inquires about the students’ perception regarding their English classes at Escuela Dra Eloísa Díaz, an at-risk public school in Santiago de Chile. How do students value their English classes? What are the difficulties they have to face, and how can teachers increase students’ participation are the research question that lead this investigation. Accordingly, the main objectives are to determine the students’ perception regarding their English classes, to comprehend the main difficulties they have to face and to provide recommendations to enhance the weaker areas. To achieve the intended aims, the researchers use a mixed-method data collection procedure to gain meaningful information. A quantitative survey to obtain a broad vision regarding several aspects of the English classes at the targeted school, complemented by a focus group and a series of interviews aiming to get more in-depth knowledge qualitatively. After the analysis process, the authors conclude that oral participation is one of the main obstacles students have to overcome in their English language learning processes. Students are conscious of the importance of learning English and the difficulties they have to face. Among them, they recognize a low level in oral participation and the lack of personal effort. Reading is for them the easiest skill to develop, while speaking appears to be the most difficult one. Their perception of the English language learning process seems to be limited, and students clearly associate learning with having fun.

CONFIDENCE: BEFORE AND AFTER ORAL RECITATIONS

A belief in one’s capability to do and perform the task well is referred to as self-confidence. Meanwhile, oral recitation is a form of speaking in front of other people to report information. Hence, this study was conducted in Jagobiao National High School- Senior High School Department. The researcher-made likert scale questionnaire was used to assess the students from the different strands, aimed to know the students’ confidence regarding their oral recitation performance and students’ confidence before and after they perform oral recitations. Moreover, the quantitative data were analyzed through weighted mean and paired samples t-test. In which, the result shows improvement of students’ confidence after ten or more times of performing oral recitations due to their intensive oral participation. It means that when a student is highly confident then she or he is able to perform the oral participation efficiently. Thus, it revealed that there is a significant difference between students’ confidence before and after oral recitations. In this study, suggestions were provided to students such as engaging in different activities that could enhance their confidence in all aspect and to the teachers and parents who need to help the students to perform well in school with self-confidence.

What is wrong with silence in intercultural classrooms? An insight into international students’ integration at a UK university

Recent research has reported a common tendency for international students to be silent in the classroom, identifying language competence and cultural difference as main barriers to participation. However, insights into the integration of international students within the classroom context remain rather limited. Grounded in the framework of Lave and Wenger’s community of practice, this paper examines the issue of silence in verbal participation of postgraduate international students of different socio-cultural backgrounds in a UK university context. Findings reveal tensions in classroom activities resulting from different perceptions and attitudes towards oral participation. Comparative analyses in different classroom communities and peer interactions were carried out to provide implications for practice to better integrate international students within educational context.