ESL

This study investigated the effect of role-play and simulation approach on Malaysian Polytechnic engineering students’ ESL oral communication skills. In addition, the study examined the students’ perceptions of the effect of the role-play and simulation on their oral communication skills. A mixed method design was employed, using both quantitative and qualitative data collection approaches. The quantitative data were collected from the quasi-experimental study (n=100). The data were collected using a set of questionnaires, a pre and post-test. The data from the questionnaires were analysed using descriptive statistics (percentages and means). The results showed that there was a significant difference between the pre-test and the post-test scores of the role-play and simulation group compared to the traditional group. The findings indicated that the students in the role-play and simulation group had performed better in the post-test compared to the pre-test after the exposure to the role-play and simulation approach in the ESL oral communication skills classes. An implication of the study is that role-play and simulation approach can serve as a possible strategy to improve students’ ESL oral communication skills.

This study explored the EFL teachers’ written corrective feedback (CF) techniques and their EFL students’ ability to integrate the CF while revising their texts. A total of 72 EFL students and 4 EFL teachers participated in this study. The data were collected through explicitation interviews administered to teachers and students, as well as through students’ written productions. A content analysis was carried out employing three pre-established categories: types of students’ errors (Guénette & Lyster, 2013), types of teachers’ feedback (Guénette, 2010), and types of students’ revisions (Ferris, 2006). Results showed that error identification with error code was the most frequent type of written CF used by the two teachers in the pre intermediate groups and one of the teachers in the upper intermediate group; whereas, the other teacher in the upper intermediate group used mainly direct error correction without comment when providing feedback. In addition, results showed that although students from different levels undertook revisions of their errors in different ways, most were ultimately able to correct their errors.

The paper deals with the topic of visually based L2 acquisition in higher education and evaluates the impact of the use of visual images based on Kolb´s theory of experiential learning. It evaluates its impact on the students´ risk-taking, motivation and anxiety. The research was conducted at the English Department of the University of Diyala, Iraq. The total number of participants was forty (n = 40) and they all were first-year students at English Department. The research was conducted by using guided interviews through the Google Meet platform. The main idea of the research was to evaluate how much will experiential learning, via the reading pictures technique, influence college students’ risk-taking, motivation, and anxiety. The research results show that students’ motivation and risk-taking were affected positively by using pictures. It further shows that the classroom anxiety of the students was less affected than the other two variables