STUDENTS’ VOICE ON FEEDBACK AND INSTRUCTIONS IN ACADEMIC WRITING

University students often struggle with academic writing because of the challenges involved in negotiating the hidden rules and implicit discursive practices in academic writing. An academic literacies approach has emphasized writing as social practice and recognized that the literacy practices of the university are often epistemological. Blogs provide an opportunity for students to immerse themselves in situated, socially interactive writing in academic contexts. This study sought to explore blog writing from an academic literacies perspective. Data were collected from of two cohorts of students (Winter 2010 and 2011 terms) participating in a small university fourth year seminar class. The data consisted of blog postings from the two cohorts, interviews with the instructor, and course evaluations. The blog posts and comments were analysed using an intertextual analytical framework. Findings indicate that students do develop academic literacies through blog writing because of particular features of blogs: the immediate audience, the flexibility of purpose of blogs and the informal style of language.

Like any other discipline, academic writing is equally crucial for law undergraduates to master. Project reports, argumentative essay writing on current socio-legal affairs and research paper writing comprise requisites in academia for law learners. Students’ appropriation of higher order concerns in academic writing is a major challenge for teachers, as the physical classroom discourse community is typically passive and does not give enough opportunities to students to think critically about their writing processes. The teacher is expected to provide feedback to students on their writing, which often leads to the creation of only one feedback centre, restriction of the scope for varied perceptions and formation of multiple small discourses where the teacher is the central point of reference in every discourse. Consequentially, students can fail to develop self/peer-critiques in the ongoing discourse. The present paper has its focus on the recreation of discourse communities using a learning management system at the Law School, Bennett University, India, to promote peer-to-peer learning for honing higher order concerns in academic writing. The paper investigates how law students behave whilst interacting in a recreated online discourse community, benefit through peer feedback, and enhance their knowledge of the academic writing genre of argumentative essays, its subject matter and rhetoric involved. The methodological triangulation of pre-test/post-test analysis, student survey and conceptual content analysis of students’ interaction transcripts support recreation of online discourse communities in academic writing instruction.

Over the past decade, an academic revolution of growing proportions in the UAE has aimed to shift the country from a site of passive knowledge reception into one of active knowledge production (Romani, 2006). Billions of dollars are spent each year to continually improve once-poor standards in higher education by bringing foreign campuses to the Gulf or adapting curricula from outside the region (UNDP, 2003). However, branches of western, mostly American, universities now make up over two-thirds of higher education in the UAE and one of the pedagogical tools fuelling the reform is critical thinking (UNESCO, 2005). This not only requires Arab students to successfully complete core liberal arts courses, such as academic writing, but it demands that they arrive at university already skilled in critical thought. However, many incoming freshmen find critical thinking new and challenging, especially if they come from primary and secondary schools in the Gulf that follow traditional rote-learning systems. According to Hall (2011), these students "are not used to being in charge of their own learning and text creation and they struggle to cope with the demands of critical thinking and independent learning" (p. 430).

In studies of writing, linguistic proficiency has been assumed to play an important factor contributing to writing proficiency (Raimes, 1987; Bereiter & Scardamalia, 1987; Hayes 1996). Additional factors such as “cognitive” processes (i.e. planning and reviewing) (Ellis, 2005), memory (McCutchen, 1996, Alamargot & Chanquoi, 2001), and the matter of the quality of writing and lexical fluency (Van Gelderen & Oostdam; 2002, 2004) and error correction (Ferris & Roberts, 2001; Ferris;1999, 2002, 2004) have been among the focus areas. This study examines whether instruction in a university preparatory EFL program increases the quality of writing. A typical criticism from university academic writing classes often argues that short preparatory programs do not produce able, coherent, and proficient writers as preparatory reading and writing programs face the dual challenge of integrated skills instruction as well as covering many of the conventions of academic writing. In an effort to evaluate the effects of teaching academic writing within an EFL preparatory program, this research aims to compare the quality of writing within two groups of students, low level EFL students (pre-intermediate and intermediate levels) after a two-three semester program against students whose initial fluency was significantly higher at the time of university entry (direct-entry students with an IELTS 6.5 equivalency or higher). To this aim, four factors which are readability, lexical density, coherence and grammar complexity in 50 essays have been examined quantitatively. In this presentation, we aim to highlight implications of the findings for academic writing instruction at EFL university settings and for the broader context academic programs in EFL context. Our findings indicate that EFL students graduating from the ELC score well below their direct-entry peers in a number of categories.

The article deals with the unsettled question whether academic scientific writing can be eloquent and possess some expressive characteristics and what impact it has on the reader. Historically the evolution of classical science to post-non-classical one was marked with substantial changes in the stylistics of scientific genres. Post-non-classical science is characterized by profoundly new conceptual notions, interpenetration of different forms of discourse, and the use of expressive linguistic means and emotional components in research papers. The current paper shows that notwithstanding the apparent antinomy, the formal and expressive functions of academic writing can effectively “coexist” in modern science. The objective of the present paper is to identify socio-historical grounds for tolerance to emotional representation of academic knowledge, to describe the changes in post-non-classical science, which made emotiveness possible in academic writing, to reveal the ways of communicating emotiveness in academic discourse. The main methods of this research include textual and stylistic analysis of academic articles and their titles, selected from scientific journals indexed in authoritative databases and materials of British National Corpus. It was revealed that the scope of expressive vocabulary in academic writing depends on the genre of scientific prose. The linguistic expressive means used by the representatives of both humanities and natural sciences and technology include: metaphor, metonymy, epithets, intensifying adverbs, quantifiers, the use of precedent texts, assertion of the author’s style and gender identity.

In academic writing, certain near-synonymous adjectives are commonly found, among which are critical and important. This study aims to analyze the unique and shared patterns of these two near-synonyms in academic discourse and general use. In the British Academic Written English (BAWE) Corpus, both adjectives modify nouns such as point, method, and data. However, each has its individual uses: only critical modifies lure, path, and period, and only important modifies element, thing, and implication. However, the collocation patterns are somewhat different in a reference corpus. In the British National Corpus (BNC), critical modifies scrutiny and evaluation, while important modifies implication and consequence. The two adjectives behave differently in the two registers. By comparing the unique uses of a word in a specialized corpus, one can explore its regular patterns. Such patterns could be contrasted more clearly by comparing to a reference corpus. We argue that the collocation analysis from a reference corpus may need to be accompanied by a specialized corpus for the understanding of the vocabulary of a specialized field.

Since time immemorial there has been much debate over whether teaching is a science or an art. In this postmodern and ever-changing world, there are no hard and fast rules as to what are the best pedagogies in terms of teaching English at the college level. A holistic approach taking all key related factors into consideration, therefore, would be one of the most appropriate pedagogies for a world in flux, and especially so for the students in Taiwan where English is learned as a foreign language.The majority of Taiwanese college teachers have claimed to adopt the approach or approaches of ”the current trend” in teaching English to adapt to the change of national education policies, regardless of the fact that some of the approaches are not applicable to the college EFL classroom in Taiwan. Overall, they have spurned teaching literature in the college EFL classroom, arguing that it is a mere waste of time. They insist that English teaching is a sacred ground off-limits to literature. This notion is absurd because literature and English teaching are as inseparable as two sides of the same coin: literature provides contents or matter, whereas language supplies skills or manner. English teaching without contents of proper depth is shallow and ineffective. On the other hand, literature teaching without resorting to feasible skills and strategies is doomed to be tedious and inefficient.This study attempts to argue for the integration of literature in the college EFL classroom in Taiwan. In addition, we propose a holistic approach to teaching literature, showcasing Robert Frost's ”Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” as a sample lesson. By employing a holistic approach, we strongly believe that literature is by no means a bogey of ineffectual English teaching in the EFL classroom. Literature, if taught properly, is an asset, instead of a liability, in the college EFL classroom.

The term multiliteracies has been coined by a group of scholars who realized importance of the fast change of technology, increasing people’s awareness of cultural diversity, and global connectedness that would change the way people communicate. The change influences the evolving nature of texts and messages that are presented through different channels. As a result, a pedagogy of multiliteracies required different way of thinking about texts and assessment (Jacobs, 2013, p. 623). As English is a prevailing means for global communication, and is presented through different kinds of channels, modes, and media, English language teachers and learners are required to possess three multiliterate skills: proficiency of the language, awareness of global diversity, and interpretation of meaning from multimodal texts. This paper aims to address (1) how multiliteracies pedagogy influences learning and instruction in the 21st century, especially in the English language classrooms, and (2) to discuss the plausibility in incorporating multiliteracies in the Thai EFL classrooms. The paper gives an insight of how EFL teachers in Thailand should be informed about the evolving nature of meaning-making of the texts of English in different forms and channels. Keywords: multiliteracies, English as a foreign language, Thailand

Motivation is defined as the learner's orientation with regard to the goal of learning a second language. It influences how and why people learn as well as how they perform (Pintrich, Smith, 1996). Attitude is a complex theoretical construct. According to Dorynei (1994), it is used to explain the direction and persistence of human behavior and defined as ”an evaluative reaction to some referent or attitude object, inferred on the basis of the individual's beliefs or opinions about the referent”. Integrative motivation is characterized by the learner's positive attitudes towards the target language group and the desire to integrate into the target language community. Instrumental motivation underlies the goal to gain some social or economic reward through L2 achievement; therefore, it refers to a more functional reason for language learning. Herdrickson (1997) indicates that motivation and attitude were the best predictors of students' grade point average. Green (1993) points that it is important that learner preferences and opinions for EFL classroom material are investigated, and teachers do not rely solely on intuition and experience when selecting materials. This study aims to explore the existence and influence of the instrumental motivation and integrative motivation for students at Cheng-Shiu University. Besides, the students' attitudes toward their learning material are also studied. The results of the survey provide a variety of strategies and methods that teachers can employ in EFL class to motivate their students in EFL classroom.

Promoting cross-culturalism in the EFL context is imperative in today’s global society. EFL teachers should be prepared not only to raise cultural awareness and promote cross-cultural learning, but also to develop tools that evaluate cross-cultural competency and analyze student attitudes toward cross-culturalism. Due to a lack of interaction and exposure to diversified cultures within the EFL context, cross-cultural learning is explained as a major component that must be facilitated by Native English Teachers (NETs). NETs are noted as key sources to promoting cross-cultural learning and helping students gain cultural awareness through cross-cultural interaction. Cross-cultural competency is mentioned as a learning process that can be attained through consistent exposure and interaction with a dissimilar culture. It is suggested that NETs incorporate interactive lessons aimed to incite cultural awareness, promote cross-cultural learning, and enhance cross-cultural competency, as a means of fostering growth and helping students quickly adapt to environments that are culturally differentiated. The implementation of assessing student cross-cultural competency levels based upon interactions with NETs is highly recommended. Cross-cultural assessments that are created based upon interactions between the student and NETs are highlighted as an essential element to solidifying cross-cultural competency. Cross-cultural assessments are also noted as a consequential component that is often overlooked or disregarded as trivial within the EFL context. The implications for teaching cross-culturalism in the EFL classroom are essentialized, along with the ramifications of cross-cultural assessments.

The present study aimed at investigating the role of language awareness from the teachers’ perspective as well as its relationship with other aspects of EFL teacher knowledge. The study was designed and conducted with the aim of providing an account of the issues related to EFL teachers’ language awareness and their beliefs about how students learn a foreign language. Questionnaires were distributed to a total of 150 EFL teachers employed in public primary and secondary schools in Northern Greece. The findings indicated that the participants were conscious to a certain degree of the need for raising language awareness in the EFL classroom and developing students’ language learning strategies.

The study sought to provide evidence regarding the pedagogic value of communicative tasks in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) setting. Previous research suggests that communicative tasks can provide conditions and promote processes which facilitate second language (L2) learning, as they encourage meaningful interaction in the L2 and learner attention to linguistic form. Interactive language use helps students to better comprehend novel language elements and to practice expressing themselves in the L2 as part of their language learning. Learner discourse while carrying out such tasks should reflect these processes. In EFL settings, where it is an ongoing challenge to provide learners with quality linguistic input and interaction opportunities, communicative tasks are seen as a promising pedagogical approach, yet relatively little is known about their implementation and outcomes in such settings. This case study investigated the nature of the oral discourse generated through the use of selected communicative tasks in a university EFL class by students working in small groups and their non-native EFL teacher, emphasizing its interactive features. It also compared the effects of two task types ( jigsaw and decision making). This study explored the students' and teacher's perceptions and attitudes with respect to the use of communicative tasks vis-a-vis the existing oral method, as well as changes in these attitudes and perceptions over a semester. Finally, it sought evidence of language learning outcomes, particularly lexical development, from these tasks. The research context was an oral academic English course for Indonesian undergraduate medical students with intermediate English proficiency. Participants included an experienced non-native English speaking teacher and her eight students who completed all the tasks and were selected as representative of the class. Examination of the students' interactions and teacher discourse when implementing and completing the tasks revealed that both jigsaw and decision making tasks worked well in the hands of an experienced non-native teacher. Both task types generated a considerable amount of interactive language as students interacted, negotiated, and cooperated during task implementation and completion. The two task types complemented each other in terms of the various aspects of language learning they promoted, their relative difficulty, and the level of students' language proficiency required. In addition, the teacher and students reported similar, positive perceptions and attitudes with regard to the use of communicative tasks, and there was anecdotal and observed evidence that the communicative tasks might facilitate lexical learning in this setting. The study contributes to our knowledge of EFL pedagogy and extends classroom-based research to EFL settings, particularly in its study of a communicative task-based methodology for promoting student interaction in an EFL setting.

It is believed that there will always be a relationship between writing and critical thinking/HOTS. Writing is considered a process of doing critical thinking and a product that communicates the result of critical thinking. Therefore, this paper has two primary aims: first, to investigate the importance of writing and HOTS in foreign language learning; and second, to explore how those two issues can be accommodated through a single computer-assisted learning media, namely STRIKING (Strengthening Critical Thinking in Writing). The media will be in the form of a digital study package which is expected to give some benefits such as facilitating learner-centered learning, allowing the users to organize, analyze, interpret, and evaluate their own work, and getting the learners to be used to control their own learning.

Comparative Study on Performance Evalaution Using Balanced Scorecard and Quality Assurance (QA) Systems in Sri Lankan Universities

Clinical practice has benefited from new methodologies such as realistic simulation (RS). RS involves recreating lifelike scenarios to more accurately reflect real clinical practice, enhancing learners' skills and decision-making within controlled environments, and experiencing remarkable growth in medical education. However, RS requires substantial financial investments and infrastructure. Hence, it is essential to determine the effectiveness of RS in the development of skills among medical students, which will improve the allocation of resources while optimizing learning. This cross-sectional study was carried out in the simulation laboratory of a medical school, and the performance of students who underwent two different curriculum matrices (without RS and with RS, from 2021 to 2022) in the Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) course was compared. This test was chosen considering that the competencies involved in cardiac life support are essential, regardless of the medical specialty, and that ACLS is a set of life-saving protocols used worldwide. We observed that the impact of RS can be different for practical abilities when compared with the theoretical ones. There was no correlation between the general academic performance and students' grades reflecting the RS impact. We conclude that RS leads to less remediation and increased competence in practical skills. RS is an important learning strategy that allows repeating, reviewing, and discussing clinical practices without exposing the patient to risks.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Realistic simulation (RS) positively affected the performance of the students differently; it had more influence on practical abilities than theoretical knowledge. No correlation between the general academic performance and grades of the students without RS or with RS was found, providing evidence that RS is an important tool in Advanced Cardiac Life Support education.