BRU ELT JOURNAL

Enhancing General Academic Stand (GAS) 11 Students’ Oral Communication Skills through Suggestopedia and Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) Approaches

Laiza S. Gayramara, Kurt S. Candilas — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0700

Developing oral communication skills is crucial for students to communicate effectively. However, students struggle to express their ideas using the English language. This study aimed to enhance the oral communication skills of Grade 11 students under General Academic Strand (GAS) by employing Suggestopedia and Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approaches. This study employed the quasi-experimental design. Seventy Grade 11 students were chosen via the simple random sampling method. The researcher conducted a pretest and post-test through an impromptu speech, which was assessed using the Student Oral Language Observation Matrix (SOLOM). Descriptive statistics were utilized to present the results, a t-test for paired samples was used to show the significant differences in the participants’ oral communication skills performance before and after the interventions, and Mann Whitney U test was utilized to see if there are significant differences in the rating increments of the two groups. Data revealed that there is a worthwhile improvement in the two groups of participants’ oral communication skills performance after the interventions. Suggestopedia and Communicative Language Teaching approaches have significant influence on enhancing students’ oral communication skills. However, CLT approach appeared to have better results as compared to the Suggestopedia approach specifically in the comprehension component. It is recommended that teachers implement interactive activities, such as fun filled activities with incorporation of music and CLT activities.

Conceptualization of (Im) politeness of Burmese and Rakhine Native Speakers in Myanmar

Wai Yan Min Oo, Vaskó Ildikó — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0700

The terms "politeness" and "impoliteness" are defined in various ways by different scholars in the field of pragmatics. According to scholars of the discursive approach to politeness, those phenomena mainly differ on the point of actual participants and cultures. This study aimed to investigate the notions of politeness and impoliteness in the conceptualization of speakers of the Burmese and Rakhine languages of Myanmar within the framework of Theoretical/folk-theoretic conceptualizations (second order) by Kadar and Haugh (2013) is the theoretical standpoint of the current research. The qualitative research method was used to find out the required data. Data obtained from the interview of five participants from each ethnic group were analyzed with the help of the discourse analysis method. The most significant finding of this study is the tentative definitions of politeness and impoliteness of Burmese and Rakhine native speakers. In addition, commonalities and differences between the conceptualization of politeness in Rakhine and Burmese were also investigated. Hopefully, this present study will contribute to understanding politeness and impoliteness across cultures by providing universal and culturally distinctive components of (im)politeness in Myanmar.

Trends of Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technologies in Research Studies of English Language Teaching

Wanchana Boonchom, Surachai Piyanukool, Nawamin Prachanant — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0700

Artificial Intelligence (AI) plays an increasingly important role in English language teaching (ELT); however, the trends of AI in language learning remain largely under-investigated. Accordingly, the study, using bibliometric analysis, investigates these issues via a review of 64 papers published between 2021 and 2023, focusing on how AI was integrated into ELT. The objectives aimed to 1) identify the integration of AI technologies in researches in order to enhance English language acquisition and pedagogical skills, and 2) explore the levels of English language learners that AI technologies employed in the obtained studies. The academic articles, research papers, conference proceedings were selected by publication in 2021 and 2023 that obtained from ERIC database. The search terms of “Artificial Intelligence”, “English Language Teaching”, and “Teaching Strategies” resulted in 64 articles that they were selected by purposive sampling. Findings revealed that the frequency of employing AI in the studies. The results pointed the five most popular AI-technology based English language teaching and learning obtained from the review were: (1) AI-technology based pedagogies (48 articles, 75%), (2) the AI-technology based English writing (8 articles, 12.5%), (3) the AI-technology based English vocabulary (4 articles, 6.25%), (4) the AI-technology based English speaking (3 articles, 4.68%), (5) the AI-technology based English grammar (1 article, 1.56%). The results also indicated the levels of learners that AI-technologies integrated in ELT were at the tertiary level was the most frequent (29 articles, 45.3%), followed by overall (23 articles, 35.9%), the secondary level (10 articles, 15.6%), and an equal number of studies examined using AI-technologies at the primary level and graduate level (1 article, 1.56%). This study is helpful for those interested in finding the appropriate AI for English language acquisition and pedagogical skills.

Improving Grade 10 Students’ Expository Writing through Concept Mapping and Freewriting: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Mary Roxanne E. Abella, Kurt S. Candilas — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0700

Good writing skills are essential for students to succeed academically. The purpose of this research was to determine the effectiveness of using concept mapping and freewriting in improving Grade 10 students’ expository writing in a public national high school in Villanueva, Misamis Oriental, Philippines. During the first week of classes, these students showed poor performance in the writing prompts given by the researcher. The study involved 37 participants in the experimental group and 42 in the control group. It aimed to compare the effectiveness of two different teaching methods, Concept Mapping and Freewriting. The research employed a quasi-experimental design and utilized a modified analytic rubric to assess the expository writing of both groups before and after applying these teaching interventions. Descriptive statistics, such as frequency, percentages, and means were utilized. T-Test for Paired Samples was also used to determine the significant difference between the students’ pretest and post-test results in expository writing, and T-Test for Independent Samples was employed to determine the difference in the score increment between the two groups. The findings reveal that both approaches were effective in improving students’ expository writing. This implies that both of the interventions were effective in improving the Grade 10 students' expository writing, however, Concept Mapping was found to be more effective than free writing. The study suggests the need to utilize these strategies in improving students’ expository writing and that further empirical investigation may be explored in another locale to increase the generalizability of the findings.

Enhancing English Learning Engagement through Kahoot: A Study at Warmadewa University’s English Language and Literature Program

Agus Darma Yoga Pratama, Putu Vania Maharani Suastha — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0700

This study investigated the impact of Kahoot, a game-based learning platform, on student engagement in English language education at Warmadewa University. The analysis showed that Kahoot significantly improved students' motivation, participation and overall quality of learning by providing instant feedback and fostering a competitive yet fun learning environment. According to Self-Determination Theory, this environment effectively fulfills students' psychological needs for competence, autonomy and relatedness, thus enhancing intrinsic motivation. In addition, Kahoot embodies the principles of the edutainment model by turning learning into an experiential and engaging journey. Comparative analysis with traditional teaching methods highlights Kahoot's superiority in promoting higher levels of engagement and motivation. This study suggests a hybrid educational approach that integrates the interactive features of Kahoot with the educational depth of traditional methods. Specific integration strategies include differentiated learning sessions and adaptive feedback mechanisms to cater to diverse student needs and preferences. Recommendations for implementing these strategies are directly informed by the research findings, addressing existing gaps in language education and increasing the relevance and impact of the research.

Addressing College Students’ Writing Difficulties through Cooperative Learning and Inquiry-Based Learning Approaches

Raymond A. Ybanez, Kriscentti Exzur P. Barcelona — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0700

High proficiency in college students’ writing is beneficial for their academic success. The dynamic nature of higher education demands effective communication through writing, making it imperative to understand the prevalent issues hindering students' success in this area. This study assessed the effectiveness of Cooperative Learning and Inquiry-based Learning in improving writing difficulties among college students. Conducted over eight weeks at a private university in Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines, this quasi-experimental research involved 64 participants. The study utilized a comprehensive rubric assessing content, organization, grammar, vocabulary, and mechanics to evaluate the students' essays. Results demonstrated notable improvements in both Cooperative Learning and Inquiry-based Learning, with students progressing from 'Emerging' to 'Proficient' levels in writing. These enhancements were significant in all assessed areas, highlighting the effectiveness of the interventions. While both methods were found effective in improving writing proficiency, the Inquiry-based Learning approach stood out as more effective, particularly in improving grammar. This finding emphasizes its role in elevating the overall writing quality of college students. The study's outcomes not only affirm the effectiveness of their pedagogical strategies in enhancing writing abilities. Future research is recommended to further investigate the nuances of these learning approaches, as identified in this study.

Translanguaging Practice in EFL Classroom: A Comparative Study of Chinese and Indonesian Universities

Fransisca Kristanti, Ruzheng Pei — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0700

This comparative study investigates translanguaging in undergraduate English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms in China and Indonesia, filling a gap in comparative and higher education research. Employing a qualitative approach, this study employed classroom observations and interviews in two universities in China and Indonesia to explore translanguaging's pedagogical integration into language learning. A total of 70 university students and four lecturers in China and Indonesia became the participants of this study. The data collected from the transcriptions of classroom recordings were categorized based on Fang and Liu’s (2020) classifications of classroom translanguaging practices and interrater were applied to ensure the validity of analysis results. The findings show while consistent in Chinese contexts, Indonesian classrooms showed variations, notably lacking content localization. The comprehensive examination of translanguaging in Chinese and Indonesian EFL classrooms confirms its efficacy in leveraging students' existing linguistic and cultural backgrounds to foster a deeper understanding of a second language, making learning more inclusive and engaging. This study enriches the existing body of research by demonstrating the versatility and impact of translanguaging across diverse linguistic and cultural landscapes. Finally, by describing translanguaging as a bridge between students' linguistic and cultural backgrounds and EFL learning, this study offers crucial insights for educators aiming to embrace more inclusive and responsive teaching approaches, underscoring its transformative potential in EFL classrooms.