Search

This is a qualitative study that addresses writing challenges transnational students face as a result of the transition from an American educational system to a Mexican one. Seven transnational students from an undergraduate program in English Language Teaching (ELT) took part in the study. A case study design was adopted; students were taught for eight weeks how to write an introduction to a research paper following a modified version of Tardy’s (2019) genre pedagogy. Two semi-structured interviews and a focus group were conducted at different phases of the study. We also collected students’ drafts and the final version of the introduction to a research paper. This article, however, reports the results of the first interview that was analyzed by means of thematic analysis. Results reveal that students have some difficulties with the organization of texts in English despite their immersion in an English-speaking environment, and students acknowledge that some Mexican teachers overstress the use of grammar when teaching writing in English. This paper contributes to the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) field because it informs English teachers about some academic writing difficulties that transnational students face. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Literary translation, among other types of translation, projects a lot of challenges for translators especially those dealing with disparate languages like Arabic and English. This study investigates the English translation of two short stories by the Iraqi writer Karim Abid. The study highlights two main challenges: linguistic and cultural. The study cites illustrative examples where points of misunderstanding the original text, mistranslation, lack of adequate translation, interference in the original text, etc. are explored. It is concluded that translating Arabic short stories into English is an arduous and daunting task due to the many obstacles and hardships facing even a professional translator. Therefore, literary translators should have the potential and talent to cope with the invincible hardships of this type of translation. As such, part and parcel of their tools is the application of specific strategies and procedures that are necessary to get over them. Besides, it has been shown that this type of translation is highly creative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reports of official organizations and interns at the Teacher Training Faculty confirm the gradual increase, especially at the primary education level, of international students who do not know the vehicular language of their schools. At the same time, abroad, there is a growing and sustained demand for Spanish as a Foreign Language courses at the primary education level. Consequently, primary education teaching degree programs must help students develop competencies and strategies linked to teaching ELE. Therefore, this paper reviews existing measures to address this reality. It also presents a training proposal that contributes, within the framework of active and cooperative learning, to an understanding of the difficulties of international students in learning the official languages of their schools, and improves the linguistic support provided to them. Consequently, the proposal will enhance the inclusion of international students. Finally, this paper aims to broaden the job outlooks of future primary education teachers by showing the growing request for ELE learning in primary education level abroad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Being able to speak English well is one of the outcomes for English training programs in different teaching and learning contexts. Nevertheless, there are many factors affecting the achievement of a high level of English speaking skills. One of these factors is derived from English speaking difficulties that ESL/EFL learners have to endure. This study, therefore, attempts to investigate the four aspects of speaking difficulties, namely affective, social, instructional and linguistic difficulties encountered by English-majored students at one university in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. One hundred and fifty participants were involved in answering the questionnaire. The results showed that English-majored students’ speaking abilities were often affected by speaking difficulties. The aspect they experienced most was affective difficulties while the least was instructional difficulties. The findings also revealed that the number of years spent learning English also affected English-majored students’ speaking skills.

As a great challenge to most English learners, speaking skills have aroused the interest of numerous researchers in many countries where English is taught as a foreign language. This study aimed to investigate some difficulties that students faced in speaking classrooms. A group of 57 participants at Tra Vinh university was selected to complete the questionnaires to find out students’ speaking problems from psychological and linguistic perspectives and 12 of them participated in the face-to face interviews. The results from the questionnaire revealed that non-English majors encountered more linguistic difficulties than psychological ones. Also, students’ psychological problems identified includes: pressure to perform well, being overpowered by more competent students, fear of making mistakes in front of the class and fear of criticism or losing face. The linguistic difficulties are lacking vocabulary and topical knowledge, being uncapable of arranging ideas logically, insufficient sentence formation skills and inappropriate vocabulary. The findings from the interview also showed that learners encountered more linguistic difficulties. Based on the findings above, some possible solutions are suggested to assist students in improving their speaking skills when acquiring English.

For the last few decades, difficulties encountered by non-native English students in the process of thesis writing have attracted considerable attention from researchers. However, most of the previous research on this topic has given priority to the language-related/linguistic problems and has focused on international students studying in L1 contexts. Thus, the aim of this qualitative study was to gain insight into Master students' experiences of thesis writing in a conspicuously underexplored EFL context, Algeria. Specifically, the study explored both students' and supervisors' perceptions of the difficulties and challenges encountered during the course of thesis writing, with a focus on the non-linguistic factors underlying this academic undertaking. Semi-structured in-depth interviews, supported by open-ended questionnaires, were used to obtain from 30 students and six supervisors, purposely selected from English departments at eight Algerian universities. Findings indicate that the process of thesis writing is a formidable and daunting academic undertaking for Algerian EFF Master students due primarily to sociocultural challenges and then linguistic difficulties. These latter ones included students' lack of some academic writing skills and their limited knowledge about thesis writing and research whereas the identified sociocultural challenges included lack of supervisor and family support, lack of cooperation of the research sample, and insufficient academic preparation. Pedagogical implications for stakeholders and suggestions for future researchers were presented in the end of the current study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on difficulties that primary school students have in facing mathematical word problems. In particular, we are interested in exploring how they develop in the transition from grade 2 to grade 5. The research basis of the hypothesis is that some difficulties detected in grade 5 are already predictable in grade 2. Starting from the data collected in grade 5 by the National Standardized Assessment, we carry out a quantitative analysis looking for word problems in which students experience difficulties. Subsequently, we conduct a backward analysis of the grade 2 test of the same cohort of students in order to identify a set of word problems linked with those selected in grade 5 test. The analysis shows the presence of many common difficulties in the two grades. We design and carry out specific educational activities concerning word problem-solving in grade 2. These activities produce positive changes in the experimental class compared to the control class. This could suggest that a previous intervention in grade 2 could allow overcoming future difficulties in word problem text comprehension in grade 5.

Copyright of Langage & Societe is the property of Fondation Maison des Sciences de l'Homme and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study explores the causes of writing anxiety found among the students of B.S. English. The data were collected through a questionnaire based on three point rating scale. The questionnaire was designed after reading a lot of literature on the topic concerned. The purpose of devising this questionnaire was to investigate the Writing Anxiety among B.S. English Students. The questionnaire consisted of ten questions. The results of the data collected through sixty respondents are shown through the graphs. In the end, it was concluded that the fear of teacher's negative comments, linguistic difficulties, pressure of time and perfect work, insufficient writing practice and problems with topic affect a lot while writing in English. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the effects of code-switching/code-mixing found among the students of BS English .The data were collected through a questionnaire based on three point rating scale. The questionnaire was designed after reading a lot of literature on the topic concerned. The purpose of devising this questionnaire was to investigate the effects of code-switching/code-mixing among BS English Students. The questionnaire is consisted of ten questions. The results of the data have been collected through sixty respondents are shown through the graphs. In the end, it was concluded that the fear of teacher's negative comments, linguistic difficulties, pressure of time and perfect work, insufficient writing practice and problems with topic affect a lot while writing in English. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Drawing on learners’ course diaries, this paper explores Chinese EFL learners’ perceptions of difficulties and constraints in EFL learning and their responses to the perceived difficulties and constraints. The diary data appear to indicate that the students’ learning difficulties lay mainly with their linguistic competence, but a closer scrutiny of the classroom discourse seems to reveal that their linguistic difficulties might be a product of the relationship between their linguistic competence and the demands that examinations placed on it. Students’ responses to linguistic difficulties were characterized by predominantly “quantitative” conceptions of, and approaches to, language learning. This quantitative orientation was not generally problematized but deemed functional by students in the examination-oriented context. Socio-psychological constraints raised by diarists included undesirable teacher–learner role relationships, negative self-evaluation, examination anxiety, deficient study skills, and obstacles to independent learning. Although these non-linguistic constraints were not frequently mentioned, it could be argued that socio-psychological factors substantially affected learning. Based on the findings, suggestions are made to aim at informed teaching in the general Chinese EFL university context. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper focuses on difficulties that primary school students have in facing mathematical word problems. In particular, we are interested in exploring how they develop in the transition from grade 2 to grade 5. The research basis of the hypothesis is that some difficulties detected in grade 5 are already predictable in grade 2. Starting from the data collected in grade 5 by the National Standardized Assessment, we carry out a quantitative analysis looking for word problems in which students experience difficulties. Subsequently, we conduct a backward analysis of the grade 2 test of the same cohort of students in order to identify a set of word problems linked with those selected in grade 5 test. The analysis shows the presence of many common difficulties in the two grades. We design and carry out specific educational activities concerning word problem-solving in grade 2. These activities produce positive changes in the experimental class compared to the control class. This could suggest that a previous intervention in grade 2 could allow overcoming future difficulties in word problem text comprehension in grade 5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]