Students' Evaluation of their English Language Learning Experience
Keywords:
language learning, learning strategies, students' evaluation
Abstract
In the field of English language teaching and learning, there is a long history of investigating students’ performance while they are undergoing specific learning programmes. This research study, however, focused on students’ evaluation of their English language learning experience after they have completed their programme. The data were gathered from 20 semi-structured interviews with 10 ‘good’ students and 10 ‘weak’ students emphasizing on factors which contributed to their proficiency level, preferred teaching approaches and learning strategies as well as their overall learning experience. The qualitative analysis indicated some different views between the ‘good’ and the ‘weak’ students in terms of their proficiency level and the contributing factors to their success (or lack of) in learning English. They however, shared similar opinion on preferred teaching approaches, learning strategies and classroom experience. The results have implications for pedagogy as they highlight some insights which may facilitate success in English language learning.References
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Long, M. H. & Robinson, P. (1998). Focus on form: Theory, research, and practice. In C. Doughty and J. Williams (Eds.), Focus on form in classroom second language acquisition (pp15-41). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
O’Malley, J.M. & Chamot, A.U. (1990). Learning strategies in second language acquisition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Oxford, R.L. (2011). Teaching and researching language learning strategies. Harlow, England: Longman.
Rubin, J. (1975). What the “good language learner” can teach us. TESOL Quarterly, 9(1), 41–51.
Schuetze, U. (2015). Spacing techniques in second language vocabulary acquisition: Short-term gains vs long-term memory. Language Teaching Research, 19(1), 28-42.
Shintani, N. (2013). The effect of Focus on Form and Focus on Forms instruction on the acquisition of productive knowledge of L2 vocabulary by young beginning-level learners. TESOL Quarterly, 47(1), 36-62.
Spada, N. & Lightbown, P.M. (2008). Form-focused instruction: Isolated or integrated? TESOL Quarterly, 42(2), 181-207.
Su, Y.Y. (2016). EFL young learners: Their imagined communities and language learning. English Language Teaching Journal, 70(1), 57-66.
Vandergrift, L. & Tafaghodatari, M. (2010). Teaching L2 learners how to listen does make a difference: An empirical study. Language Learning, 60(2), 470–97.
Wei, Z. (2015). Does teaching mnemonics for vocabulary learning make a difference? Putting the keyword method and the word part technique to the test. Language Teaching Research, 19(1), 43-69.
Wenden, A. (1986). Helping language learners think about learning. English Language Teaching Journal, 40(1), 3-12.
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Borg, S. (2003). Teacher cognition in language teaching: A review of research on what language teachers think, know, believe and do. Language Teaching Journal, 36, 81-109.
Chamot, A.U. (2004). Issues in language learning strategy research and teaching. Electronic Journal of Foreign Language Teaching, 1(1), 14-26.
Chen A. H. (2009). Listening strategy instruction: Exploring Taiwanese college students’ strategy development. Asian EFL Journal, 11, 54–85.
Curriculum Specifications (2003). Curriculum Development Center, Ministry of Education. Kuala Lumpur.
Ellis, R., Basturkmen, H. & Loewen, S. (2002). Doing focus-on-form. Systems, 30, 419-432.
File, K.E. & Adams, R. (2010). Should vocabulary instruction be integrated or isolated? TESOL Quaterly, 44 (2), 222-249.
Graham S., Santos, D. & Vanderplank, R. (2010). Strategy clusters and sources of knowledge in French L2 listening comprehension. International Journal of Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 4, 1–20.
Griffiths, C. (2008). Strategies and good language learners. In C. Griffiths (Ed.), Lessons from good language learners (pp83-98). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Griffiths, C. (2013). The strategy factor in successful language learning. Bristol: Multilingual Matters.
Griffiths, C. (2015). What have we learnt from ‘good language learners’? English Language Teaching Journal, 69(4), 425-433.
Kramsch, C. (1998). Language and culture. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Kvale, S. (1996). Inter Views. California: Sage.
Loewen, S. (2005). Incidental focus on form and second language acquisition. SSLA, 27, 23-37
Long, M. H. & Robinson, P. (1998). Focus on form: Theory, research, and practice. In C. Doughty and J. Williams (Eds.), Focus on form in classroom second language acquisition (pp15-41). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
O’Malley, J.M. & Chamot, A.U. (1990). Learning strategies in second language acquisition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Oxford, R.L. (2011). Teaching and researching language learning strategies. Harlow, England: Longman.
Rubin, J. (1975). What the “good language learner” can teach us. TESOL Quarterly, 9(1), 41–51.
Schuetze, U. (2015). Spacing techniques in second language vocabulary acquisition: Short-term gains vs long-term memory. Language Teaching Research, 19(1), 28-42.
Shintani, N. (2013). The effect of Focus on Form and Focus on Forms instruction on the acquisition of productive knowledge of L2 vocabulary by young beginning-level learners. TESOL Quarterly, 47(1), 36-62.
Spada, N. & Lightbown, P.M. (2008). Form-focused instruction: Isolated or integrated? TESOL Quarterly, 42(2), 181-207.
Su, Y.Y. (2016). EFL young learners: Their imagined communities and language learning. English Language Teaching Journal, 70(1), 57-66.
Vandergrift, L. & Tafaghodatari, M. (2010). Teaching L2 learners how to listen does make a difference: An empirical study. Language Learning, 60(2), 470–97.
Wei, Z. (2015). Does teaching mnemonics for vocabulary learning make a difference? Putting the keyword method and the word part technique to the test. Language Teaching Research, 19(1), 43-69.
Wenden, A. (1986). Helping language learners think about learning. English Language Teaching Journal, 40(1), 3-12.
Yeldham, M. & Gruba, P. (2016). The development of individual learners in an L2 listening strategies course. Language Teaching Research, 20(1), 9-34.
Published
2017-12-06
How to Cite
Muhamad, M., & Kiely, R. (2017). Students’ Evaluation of their English Language Learning Experience. Dinamika Ilmu, 17(2), 205-222. https://doi.org/10.21093/di.v17i2.837
Section
Articles
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