Nasim Boustani; Taqi Al Abdwani
Abstract
Vocabulary growth predicts communication ability and communication without vocabulary is impossible. The study was done among 50 EFL learners to examine the effect of music-based instruction on their vocabulary retention and attitudes. They were divided into experimental and control groups. First, a ...
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Vocabulary growth predicts communication ability and communication without vocabulary is impossible. The study was done among 50 EFL learners to examine the effect of music-based instruction on their vocabulary retention and attitudes. They were divided into experimental and control groups. First, a pre-test was conducted to fulfill the homogeneity assumption. Then, the photo dictionary part of the “English for Schools Prospect 1” book was set to music and the experimental group underwent music-based practices. While the control group received audio-visual instruction. Immediately after the instructions, a 20-item test was given to the groups. Subsequently, a 9-item attitude scale was distributed among the teacher, observer, and groups. After two weeks, a long-term memory test was conducted between the two groups. Results presented that the experimental group significantly outscored in the short- and long-term memory tests compared with the control group. Moreover, results from the attitude scale indicated that they welcomed music-based instruction allowing more profound vocabulary learning and communication ability than the audio-visual practices.
Akin Gürbüz; Mehmet Abi; Bekir Canlı
Abstract
A common challenge for most students in intercultural contexts both in their academic studies and future careers is balancing speaking opportunities for talkative and less talkative students. The differences in individuals’ communication styles due to their backgrounds may lead to some ...
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A common challenge for most students in intercultural contexts both in their academic studies and future careers is balancing speaking opportunities for talkative and less talkative students. The differences in individuals’ communication styles due to their backgrounds may lead to some concerns about intercultural competencies. In this respect, this study intends to explore the possible relationship between students' confidence in communication levels, their self-perception of English proficiency levels, and cultural styles. For this purpose, three questionnaires were carried out by the participation of 106 students at a state university. The obtained data were analyzed by conducting ANOVA tests. The findings indicated that participants have low to medium levels of English proficiency and as their language levels increase, their cultural self-awareness and cross-cultural communication levels increase as well. In addition, there is a significant relationship between their levels of confidence in communication and having outgoing personalities.
Ahmad Fawad Kakar; Kawita Sarwari
Abstract
A vast body of available literature presents controversial perspectives on the role of L1 in learning and communicating an L2. The current exploratory qualitative study attempted to investigate the reported experiences of ten Afghan EFL learners regarding their L1 (Farsi Dari) role in communicating an ...
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A vast body of available literature presents controversial perspectives on the role of L1 in learning and communicating an L2. The current exploratory qualitative study attempted to investigate the reported experiences of ten Afghan EFL learners regarding their L1 (Farsi Dari) role in communicating an L2 (English). The data collected through Skype interviews with ten participants were analyzed thematically. The findings indicated that both positive and negative transfers of L1 occur at different levels in L2. The emerging themes revealed that L2 is scaffolded with L1 proficiency; further, it helps generate ideas, improve self-esteem, and reduce anxiety. The findings also indicated some L1 interferences in L2 communication particularly pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary. The current study's findings suggest that the language instructors should be aware of the language transfers, both positive and negative, to provide quality teaching to EFL learners. Further research studies can be conducted through a different research design such as quantitative or mixed-method exploring the EFL perspectives.
Elham Naji Meidani; Hossein Makiabadi; Mohammad Zabetipour; Hannaneh Abbasnejad; Aida Firoozian Pooresfehani; Shaghayegh Shayesteh
Abstract
The evolutionary definition of intelligence has made it a multifaceted concept. Emo-sensory intelligence (ESQ), as integration of emotional intelligence (EQ) and sensory intelligence (SQ) is the sensitivity to the emotions evoked by sensory inputs. It puts emphasis on individuals’ ...
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The evolutionary definition of intelligence has made it a multifaceted concept. Emo-sensory intelligence (ESQ), as integration of emotional intelligence (EQ) and sensory intelligence (SQ) is the sensitivity to the emotions evoked by sensory inputs. It puts emphasis on individuals’ ability to recognize, label, monitor, and manage sense-induced emotions to guide one’s behavior and establish emo-sensory communication. Among the studies done on different types of intelligence and effective communication, gender differences have been a recurring theme. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of gender in emo-sensory intelligence and emo-sensory communication. To this aim, the emo-sensory intelligence scale (ESIS) was distributed to 1500 participants. The results revealed significant differences between the two genders in ESQ for visual, olfactory, and tactile senses, demonstrating the superiority of females over males. Moreover, a significant difference was found between the two genders in their ability to identify the basic emotions triggered by their senses, and use them in their communications, with females being better than males.
Mohammad Hossein Akbari; Reza Pishghadam
Abstract
Technology plays a crucial role in fully understanding all aspects of language and uncovering the hidden patterns, such as sense and emotion density in texts. Yet, it seems that remarkable attention has not been paid to the sensory and emotional loads of learning texts as the primary source ...
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Technology plays a crucial role in fully understanding all aspects of language and uncovering the hidden patterns, such as sense and emotion density in texts. Yet, it seems that remarkable attention has not been paid to the sensory and emotional loads of learning texts as the primary source of learning. This study attempts to present an objective way of analyzing English learning texts from both emotional and sensory perspectives to provide material developers to measure the emotional and sensory loads of the texts. For this purpose, a new kind of software was developed using two datasets; Sensicon and EmoLex. Then as an example, an English course book series, Interchange (5th ed.), was analyzed by this software to determine any probable pattern(s) concerning sensory and emotional loads. The results showed that the dominant sense in these books is hearing at all levels of language proficiency. In the emotion analysis part, the eight basic emotions were categorized as positive and negative emotions, and the results showed a higher frequency of positive emotions. It was also found that the frequency of negative emotions increases at higher levels, resulting in more authenticity.