Teaching Academic Writing

This study examines how peer-review practices improved academic writing skills in second-year English majors and minors at Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași. Involving 277 students during the 2023-24 academic year, it implemented a feedback framework inspired by John C. Bean and Dan Melzer’s "Engaging Ideas: The Professor’s Guide to Integrating Writing, Critical Thinking, and Active Learning in the Classroom" (2021). Using this framework, students provided both oral and written feedback on their peers’ argumentative texts via Microsoft Teams. Results revealed that peer review enhanced students’ understanding of writing essentials such as grammar, structure, and argumentation, while also fostering collaboration and ownership of the learning process. Despite challenges with feedback quality and workload, the findings highlight the potential of structured peer review to bridge theory and practice, cultivate critical thinking, and position students as active, visible contributors to higher education. This approach emphasizes the value of students as co-creators in the feedback process, raising awareness of textual patterns and preparing them for academic excellence.

Effective learning is a unique function of teaching, which is a universal Phenomenon. Teaching results in the completion of the learning process. Among the many teaching techniques, a few cognitive concepts support the learning process and improve the efficiency of teaching English as a second or foreign language in English language classrooms. Thus, based on the cognitive concepts proposed by H. Douglas Brown, the current study attempts to explore a few teaching principles in English language classrooms. The study of language teaching and learning concepts is expanding, which has shed light on second language acquisition and teaching strategies. Effective learning is a unique function of teaching, which is a universal phenomenon. Teaching results in the completion of the learning process. Among the many teaching techniques, a few cognitive concepts support the learning process and improve the efficiency of teaching English as a second or foreign language in English language classrooms. Thus, based on the cognitive concepts proposed by H. Douglas Brown, the current study attempts to explore a few teaching principles in English language classrooms. The study of language teaching and learning concepts is expanding, which has shed light on second language acquisition and teaching strategies. A checklist is created and the non-participant observation technique is used to collect data. Additionally, an interpretive data analysis technique is employed for the data analysis. Regarding the results, the current study shows that cognitive principles have a major influence on the teaching and learning process in classrooms teaching English as a second or foreign language.

Çalışmanın amacı Türkçenin yabancı dil olarak öğretilmesi alanında 2005-2019 yıllarında yayımlanmış makale türündeki çalışmaların akademik metin yazma ilkelerine uygunluğunu belirlemektir. Çalışmada nitel araştırma tekniklerinden doküman taraması/incelemesi kullanılmıştır. Çalışmanın materyalini, Türkçenin yabancı dil olarak öğretimi alanında yayımlanmış ve tam metnine ulaşılan 582 araştırma makalesi oluşturmuştur. Çalışmada incelenen dokümanlar, DergiPark, Google, Google Akademik veri tabanlarından tam metnine ulaşılan araştırma makaleleri ile sınırlı tutulmuştur. Makalelerin akademik metin yazma ilkelerine uygunluğunu belirlemek için araştırmacı tarafından uzman görüşleri alınarak geliştirilen, 12 boyut (başlık, yazar bilgileri, özet, anahtar sözcükler, giriş, yöntem, bulgular, sonuç, tartışma, öneriler, kaynakça, atıf) ve 56 maddeden oluşan "Makale Kontrol Formu" kullanılmıştır. Toplanan verilerin analizinde nitel analiz tekniklerinden betimsel analiz kullanılmıştır. Çalışmanın sonunda; incelenen makale metinlerinin başlıklarında, yazarların kurum ve iletişim bilgilerinde, çalışmaların özet ve giriş bölümlerinde, yöntemlerinde, bulgular, sonuç ve tartışma bölümlerinde akademik metin yazma ilkelerine önemli düzeyde uyulmadığı belirlenmiştir. Akademik metin yazım kurallarının en yoğun olarak göz ardı edildiği bölümler sırasıyla özet, giriş ve tartışma bölümleri olduğu belirlenmiştir. Sonuçlardan hareketle aynı disiplinde akademik metin hazırlayan alan araştırmacıları ve araştırmaları yayımlayan akademik dergilerin ortak olarak esas aldığı akademik metin yazma ilkelerinin belirlenmesi ve belirlenen ilkeler doğrultusunda tüm araştırmacılara akademik metin yazma eğitiminin verilmesi gerektiği doğrultusunda ilgililere önerilerde bulunulmuştur.

ÖZET
Yabancı dil olarak Türkçe öğretiminde destek materyallerin kullanımı, öğrenimin kalıcılığı ve pekiştirilmesi açısından oldukça önemlidir. Bu alanda var olan destek materyal eksikliğinden yola çıkılarak söz konusu materyal geliştirilmiştir. Dil öğreniminde kalıcı öğrenmeyi sağlayan ve öğrenileni pekiştirmeye yarayan birçok yöntem ve teknik vardır. Bu yöntem ve tekniklerden hareketle ders içi/dışı, bireysel/grup şeklinde oynanabilecek “3 ZAR” isimli materyal geliştirilmiştir.
Materyal hâl eklerinin öğretiminin kalıcılığını sağlamak açısından oldukça verimli bir destek araçtır. Materyal, 6 şahıs zamiri, 5 hal/durum eki ve 75 fiilden oluşmaktadır. 3 zar ile oynanan oyunda; birinci zar şahıs zamirini seçmek için atılır, ikinci zar hal/durum ekini seçmek için; üçüncü zar ise içinde beş farklı hal ekiyle kullanılabilecek fiilin yer aldığı kutucuğu seçmek için atılır. Öğrenci kişi zamirini, hal/durum ekini ve en son olarak içinde beş farklı hal ekiyle kullanılabilecek fiili seçtikten sonra hal ekine uygun fiili seçer ve kişi zamirine göre kurallı ve anlamlı bir cümle kurması beklenir.
ANAHTAR KELİMELER: Yabancı dil olarak Türkçe öğretimi, Hal ekleri, Materyal

Writing a journal article is a different skill to writing a postgraduate thesis or a technical report. Getting published is an important step in academic careers, so it is a key skill to master. It is obviously good to publish completed research, to disseminate the research to wider academic and public communities. Your first publications are often also your formal introduction to the academic community and can help shape the next steps of your career. The advice provided here offers pointers to support decision making in navigating a new academic activity for those without experience in article writing. It draws from personal career publishing experience and from the perspectives of the editors of this journal seeing a broad range of submissions.

En la presente investigacion se examino la existencia de una ansiedad especifica hacia la lectura en aleman como lengua extranjera (LE), relacionada pero distinta de la ansiedad general dentro del ambiente formal de un salon de clases. Asimismo, se exploro el efecto del genero, tipo de institucion y nivel de proficiencia en los niveles de ansiedad reportados por los aprendices. Participaron 215 estudiantes universitarios que cursan estudios de aleman. Para la recoleccion de los datos se aplicaron los siguientes instrumentos: la Escala de Ansiedad en un Aula de Clases de LE -FLCAS -(Horwitz, Horwitz, y Cope, 1986) y la Escala de Ansiedad al Leer en una Lengua Extranjera –FLRAS- (Saito, Horwitz, y Garza, 1999). Con el fin de determinar hasta que punto la ansiedad general y la ansiedad especifica a la lectura son constructos relacionados se computo el coeficiente de correlacion de Pearson y de determinacion (r2). Para evaluar el efecto de algunas variables sociodemograficas (genero, ed...

The thesis consists of five chapters. In Chapter I, the purpose, hypotheses, limitations, and significance of the research are discussed. Chapter II provides a review of the literature, focusing on approaches to writing, with particular attention to the Process Approach. The relationship between writing and other language skills is also explored. Chapter III describes the research design, including subjects, materials, procedures, and data analysis methods. Chapter IV presents the findings, while Chapter V summarizes the conclusions.
This thesis aims to investigate the effects of the Process Approach on writing skills and overall language proficiency. Two groups of 12 students each were randomly selected from two preparatory classes at Mersin Anadolu Dış Ticaret Lisesi. During the 12-week experiment, the experimental group was taught using the Process Approach to writing, while the control group received instruction through traditional methods.
To collect data, three tests were conducted. Pre- and post-tests measured the treatment's impact on writing skills, while a multiple-choice post-test assessed its effect on overall language proficiency. Data were analyzed using the StatView Statistical Package. For the writing tests, paired and unpaired t-tests were applied, while for the multiple-choice test, only paired analyses were performed.
The multiple-choice test showed that both groups were initially equal in grammar. However, the examination of pre- and post-test compositions indicated a significant improvement in the experimental group’s writing, favoring this group over the control. The treatment also significantly impacted vocabulary levels, though both groups remained post-experimentally similar in reading comprehension. In terms of writing skills, the experimental group produced more cohesive texts and demonstrated notable linguistic improvement.

This write-up tries to highlight some guiding assistance and/or tips as regards to the academic inscriptions. It has attempted to lay a foundation on how to come up with formalized, sensible and well organized academic papers such as:
a) Theses/dissertations
b) Articles
c) Essays
d) Reports

The objective of the present study was to assess the prevailing alignment of English for academic purposes (EAP) in EFL writing courses vis-à-vis the development of academic writing skills of students in public universities of Amhara National Regional State (ANRS) in Ethiopia. The study used a descriptive survey that involved quantitative and qualitative methods. A questionnaire, focus-group discussions, and syllabus and materials survey were used to gather primary and secondary data, respectively, for the study. The descriptive statistics were employed in analyzing the quantitative data. The qualitative data were analyzed and reported thematically. The results showed there were existed a comparable horizontal (cross-department) distribution pattern of common writing courses among the three universities; all learners in taking the common course 'Basic Writing Skills' in each university learnt with the same syllabus and material regardless of their fields of study. So, there ...

Questo contributo è dedicato alla trattazione del congiuntivo e dell’alternanza modale in dieci grammatiche per la scuola secondaria di I grado; può essere interessante osservare come si pronunciano i libri di testo riguardo a tratti dell’italiano neostandard, com’è il  caso dell’indicativo pro congiuntivo, in quanto è noto che la scuola esercita una funzione di prestigio nella trasmissione di modelli di  lingua (Ammon 2003; Serianni 2007).

This research examines students' perceptions and challenges in the learning English literature. A total of 60 Form 5 students from one of the secondary schools in the district of Hulu Langat, Selangor were selected. The samples were chosen based on their level of English proficiency from three different groups of students which were good, average and weak. A set of structured questionnaire consisting of 45 items using 1-4 Likert scale instrument was designed to collect data from these respondents on their perceptions and challenges in dealing with literary text, literature lesson and ESL teachers in learning of English literature component in English Language Classroom. The overall findings of the study indicates that majority of students, respondents of this study have positive perceptions towards literary text, literature lesson and ESL teachers despite some challenges that they have been facing when learning literature. This study is essential as student's perceptions and challenges may help the teachers, educationist and curriculum developer to revise the current trend in teaching and learning literature component. Consequently, they will find the best solution to overcome the challenges which will cater students' needs for a better satisfaction in learning literature component that may lead to personalizing learning of English literature for better performance in their overall English Language result in SPM.

Religion is a set of beliefs of an individual or a set of people. Language of religion is as sacred as any religion is itself. Language of religion is distinctive as well as prior to everyday language. In spite of many distinctive features language of religion is also having some similar features to the other registers. Language of religion is dynamic and complex regarding its function, style and interrelation with other texts. In this article language of religion is stylistically analyzed. Stylistic features like grammatical level, graphological effects, phonological level and semantics discussed on the basis of stylistic analysis.

The study has been conducted within the project 178014 entitled The structure dynamics of the Serbian language, financed by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Republic of Serbia. Academic writing at the C2 level, according to the Common European Framework of Reference, experiences a fundamental change of focus from the lower-order concerns in writing, to the notion of communicative aspect of discourse and towards the higher-order concerns in writing. This study explores the degree of communicative competence in L2 writing that these students exhibit.

Academic writing is a critical skill for nursing students, essential for effective communication, critical thinking, and evidence-based practice in healthcare settings. With advancements in healthcare technology and the increasing emphasis on evidence-based practice, nursing students must develop strong academic writing skills to navigate the complexities of healthcare documentation and contribute to the evolving body of nursing knowledge.  However, little is known about the specific challenges faced by nursing students in this domain. Through semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, this study investigates the multifaceted nature of challenges encountered by nursing students in academic writing.
Methodology: A qualitative study design is used at College of Nursing AFPGMI using purposive sampling; a sample of five MSN students was collected. Thematic analysis was done to get results.
Results: Findings reveal several key themes that highlight the complexities of nursing students’ experiences. Language proficiency emerges as a significant challenge, with students struggling to master grammar, syntax, and academic vocabulary. Integration of evidence-based practices into writing presents difficulties, including identifying, evaluating, and synthesizing research findings. Time management and workload pressures compound these challenges, as students balance academic assignments with clinical placements and other responsibilities.
Conclusion: Language proficiency surfaced as a significant challenge, with students grappling with grammar, vocabulary, and academic style. Integrating evidence-based practices into writing posed difficulties, highlighting the need for enhanced research skills and critical thinking. Time management and workload pressures compounded these challenges, underscoring the importance of effective planning and prioritization.

M any students, especially those new to or unfamiliar with academic discourses, may face challenges with writing in specific, complex, and nuanced ways (Sullivan et al., 2017). Students are often expected to express ideas with "subtlety and nuance" yet might struggle with developing ideas in academically valued ways, including specifying meanings, acknowledging complexities, and distinguishing slight shades of significance (Schilb, 2001). Corrigan (2019) articulates a need for students' writing "to have more complexity, more nuance, more insight, more depth, more critical and creative thought" (p. 3). Engaging in a peer review process can nurture students to develop complexity and nuance in their writing and to recognize such qualities in others' work. However, students may face difficulties with commenting meaningfully on others' writing, raising a need for instructors to scaffold peer review in ways that encourage constructive feedback (Kim, 2015). By offering guidelines and support with the peer review process, instructors can sharpen students' close, careful attunement to writing while honing students' capacities to critically read others' work (Chamberlain, 2009). In this teaching tip, I share an exercise that immerses students in offering feedback on their peers' draft thesis statements. Because thesis statements serve as a place for students to articulate and frame their RW

Dilin dört temel becerisinden biri olan yazma, öğrenmenin araçlarından bir tanesidir. Bu bakımdan öğrenirken yazmanın kullanılması gibi yazarken de öğrenmek mümkündür. Yazma becerisinin gelişimi için de öğrenme sürecine ihtiyaç duyulmaktadır. Yazılı bir metin oluşturmanın öğretilmesi, zihinsel süreçte kavratılması ile özgün yazılı metinler oluşturmak mümkündür. Yazmada birçok yöntem ve model kullanılmaktadır. Bunlardan bir tanesi de "Zihinsel Tasarıma Dayalı Yazma Modeli"dir. Bu model yazmanın zihinsel boyutu ve yazma sürecinin zihinde tasarlanması üzerinde durmaktadır. Bu çalışmada "Zihinsel Tasarıma Dayalı Yazma Modeli"nin kullanıldığı yazma öğretim süreçlerinde yazmanın gelişimi üzerindeki etkisi ele alınmıştır. "Zihinsel Tasarıma Dayalı Yazma Modeli"nin aşamaları sırasında öğrencilerin metin yazma durumlarını incelemek üzere planlanan çalışmada "Zihinsel Tasarıma Dayalı Yazma Modellerinin öğrencilerin metin yazma becerilerini nasıl geliştirmiştir?" sorusuna cevap aranmıştır. Bu amaç doğrultusunda nitel araştırma yöntemlerinden biri olan durum çalışması kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın çalışma grubunu bir ortaokulda okuyan 5. sınıf öğrencilerinden oluşan 20 kişilik bir grup oluşturmuştur. Bu grupla modele uygun eğitim öncesinde, sırasında ve sonrasında ölçme yapılarak bu etkinlik kâğıtları değerlendirilmiştir. "Metnin konusu, metnin türü, metnin okuyucusu, metinde ana fikri veren kelime ve kelime grupları, metnin girişi ve sonucunu belirleme, metnin gelişme bölümünde kullanılacak ayrıntıları tespit etme, taslak yazma, başlık seçimi, metni düzenleme ve gözden geçirme ve paylaşma" aşamalarında geliştirdikleri gelişim betimsel analiz ve içerik analizi ile analiz edilmiştir. Araştırma sonucunda öğrencilerin bu aşamalarda gelişim göstererek özgün metinler oluşturdukları tespit edilmiştir.

El presente trabajo de titulación: Ecuadorian high school teachers" perceptions on ICT use in their EFL classes; realizado por: García Cañarte Alan Nicolás, ha sido orientado y revisado durante su ejecución, por lo tanto se aprueba la presentación del mismo. Loja, Junio de 2018 f) ………………………………… Mgtr. María Olivia Arias Córdova iii DECLARACIÓN DE AUTORÍA Y CESIÓN DE DERECHOS Yo, García Cañarte Alan Nicolás declaro ser autor del presente trabajo de titulación: Ecuadorian high school teachers" perceptions on ICT use in their EFL classes, de

Edimbilim, dil topluluklarına özgü işlevsel dil kullanımındaki sözel ve sözel olmayan işaretleri açıklığa kavuşturur. Dilin oluşum ve kullanım biçimlerinin ayırt edilebilmesi ve hangi durumda hangi stratejilerle söylemin bağlama uygun biçimde yapılandırılacağı konusunda edimbilim farkındalığı, bireyin iletişim yetisini olumlu yönde etkiler. Bireyin edimbilim dil kullanımlarında biçim ve anlam değişimlerinin etkisini gözlemleyebilmesi için edimbilim dil yapılarının farkında olması gerekir. Bireyin konuya ilişkin farkındalık kazanabilmesi ve edimbilim dil yapılarını sosyal ve kültürel normlar, değer ve yargı vb. etkenlere göre biçimlendirebilmesi için dil öğretim sürecinde edimbilimden yararlanılmalıdır. Edimbilim bağlamın içerdiği çeşitli anlam özelliklerini kullanım biçimlerine göre tanımladığı için etkileşimsel dil öğretimine katkıda bulunur. Böylece bağlama uygun dil kullanımlarının hem dolaylı ifade biçimlerinde hem de gerçek kullanımlarda nasıl biçimlendirildiğine ilişkin dinleyici ve konuşmacıda farkındalık geliştirir. Öte yandan dillerarası iletişimde kültürün dil üzerindeki etkisi göz önünde bulundurulduğunda dil öğretim sürecinde edimbilimden yararlanılması ve ilgili dil topluluğuna özgü kullanım kalıpları, söylem biçimleri ve bağlamların temel özelliklerine yer verilmesi öğrencinin daha doğru ve etkili iletişim kurmasını sağlar. Belirli bir amaç için oluşturulan söylemde yer alan örtük dil ve kültürel yapıların dil topluluğuna özgü göstergelerle nasıl kodlandığı ve dinleyici üzerindeki etkisinin pragmatik öğretilerle gerçekleştirilmesi mümkündür. Bu araştırmada edimbilimin dil öğretim sürecine katkıları gösterilmeye çalışılmıştır. Bununla birlikte edimbilimin dil öğretimi sırasında nasıl kullanılabileceğine ilişkin sözeylem stratejileri ve görev örneklerine yer verilmiştir.

Bu çalışma, tez çalışmalarından akademik makale üretme sürecini kapsamlı bir şekilde incelemektedir. Araştırma, tezden makale yazma sürecinin metodolojik zorluklarını, stratejilerini ve en iyi uygulamalarını ele almaktadır. Literatür taraması ve deneyimsel analizler sonucunda, etkili bir tezmakale dönüşümünün temel bileşenleri belirlenmiştir. Bulgular, içerik seçimi, dil sadeleştirme, yapısal uyarlama ve etik hususların kritik önemini ortaya koymaktadır. Çalışma, genç araştırmacılara ve akademisyenlere, tezlerini etkili akademik makalelere dönüştürme konusunda rehberlik etmeyi amaçlamaktadır.

Effectively constructing a confident authorial stance and framing one's argument in the context of the ongoing scholarly conversation are important skills for writers to acquire as they gain expertise writing in an academic discipline. Construction of an effective authorial stance is complicated by conventions of avoiding first-person pronouns in many disciplines. Varying practices for authorial positioning across languages and cultures further complicate this process for non-native speakers learning to write research in English. Learning to notice metadiscourse features related to stance can offer students multiple approaches to convey stance with and without using first person pronouns. This article discusses research from English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and composition studies to explore contrasting patterns of stance construction across disciplines, languages, cultures, and academic levels. It then describes a comparative genre analysis assignment in which writers in a required, upper-level WID course, including international students, analyze patterns of stance-related metadiscourse in their own writing and the published work of a scholar in their discipline to increase their rhetorical awareness about framing their perspective in academic arguments.

Section 3.1: Top-down and bottom-up processes in reading 70 Toward a realization of psycholinguistic principles in the ESL reading class 5 MARK A. CLARKE AND SANDRA SILBERSTEIN 71 Schema theory and ESL reading pedagogy 24 PATRICIA L. CARRELL AND JOAN G. EISTERHOLD 72 Cultural knowledge and reading 44 MARGARET S. STEFFENSEN AND CHITRA JOAG-DEV 73 Holding in the bottom: an interactive approach to the language problems of second language readers 58 DAVID E. ESKEY

People use language for different social practices in different contexts and perspectives, and discourse analysts examine these social practices for a better understanding of the discourse. The language used by a poet is different from the language used by common people; the poetic diction helps to understand a poet’s literary style, his ideology, and the use of descriptive language. This article focuses on exposing the socio-psychological factors through examining the use of language in a free verse poem ‘Wedding in the Flood’ by Taufiq Rafat who tried to present different aspects of Pakistani culture in the poem. The socio-psychological factors combine the social (family, society, wealth, religion) and the psychological factors (feelings, thoughts, actions, beliefs) that play an important role in shaping the personality of an individual, and the characters in the poem are the best examples of it. This analysis is based on Fairclough’s conceptions in CDA that claims of an inter-lin...

AI-assisted instruction can be applied to diverse contexts and areas in language teaching, aiming to improve different skills, sub-skills and components of language proficiency. The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the effectiveness of AI-assisted instruction in an academic writing course and for vocabulary development in an ESP course at Ilam University, Iran. To this end, following a general proficiency test and two course-specific subject-related placement tests, 32 MA students of TEFL enrolling in the academic writing course were allocated to two homogeneous classes of 16 students, and another 32 MA students of TEFL enrolling in an ESP course for linguistics were allocated to two homogeneous classes of equal size. Both classes in each pair had an equal number of students with high and mid-level general and subject-specific proficiency. In each pair, one class received traditional instruction and the other received AI-assisted instruction, while other factors, such as sessions’ length, frequency, and other aspects of teaching methodology were identical. In the AI-assisted academic writing class, ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot chatbots were used for providing feedback, revision guidance and tips for outlining, moves and paragraph organization. In the ESP class, AI-assisted vocabulary instruction involved prompting and querying the two chatbots for word grouping, mnemonics building, synonyms, antonyms, related terms and definitions. At the completion of the courses, the students in the writing classes submitted papers rated by three raters in a double-blind manner, and the students in the ESP classes took an achievement test. Ratings, test results and the results of the entrance level tests were analyzed using SPSS software. The statistical analysis consisted of using ANCOVA and paired t-test. Analysis results showed that although in both courses, students of the AI-assisted class outperformed those in the traditional class, the students of the AI-assisted academic writing class benefited more from the use of AI chatbots than those in the ESP class. Effectiveness of AI-assisted instruction in academic writing and vocabulary teaching was confirmed, with a higher level of effectiveness for instruction of academic writing. Further studies are called for with regard to different skills, sub-skills, and components, and concerning the effects of students’ individual differences in different contexts and settings using various AI-powered tools and solutions. Deeper understanding and further insight on levels of effectiveness of AI-based tools in different contexts and settings and for different purposes can help with planning and designing effective AI-assisted courses and programs.


Keywords: academic writing, AI-assisted instruction, instruction effectiveness, vocabulary teaching in ESP

The paper presents the results of a corpus-based contrastive study of interrogatives in written academic discourse in English and Serbian. Three corpora were analyzed (articles written by English and Serbian authors in their mother tongues, and by Serbian writers in English) in order to establish the distribution and functions of interrogatives, with the special emphasis on possible transferring of writing habits from the authors' native written culture to the Anglo-American one. The analyzed academic articles come from various social and hard sciences, in order both to establish cross-disciplinary variations and, more importantly, to depict some culture-based preferences in the use of interrogatives. Being rarely used as the request for information in academic articles, the interrogatives are viewed as indirect speech acts performing various interpersonal functions, such as drawing the readers' attention to a specific idea or result, announcing or giving comments on the proposition material, or establishing contact with the reader.

Evidence Based Education (EBE) is emerging as an approach focusing on the problem of reliability in educational research, on its theoretical foundations, and on the relationship between research and decision-making. On the latter, less well known are the implications resulting from it for the development of innovative school evaluation systems based on dynamic methods, and thus differing from static models based on raw data compared to general standards. We shall firstly provide a brief summary of the EBE approach as well as the main research centers and general issues in this field. Then, we will show how notions of feedback and formative assessment, currently recognized as really effective individual learning strategies, can act as reference points for school evaluation and orientation models, by introducing the New Zealand system, developed with the collaboration of John Hattie, one of the most representative of the EBE approach, which suggests to move from a static to a dynamic accountability. 1 All'interno di una impostazione condivisa, di G. Vivanet sono i parr. 1 e 4, di A. Calvani i parr. 2 e 3. Il contributo di G. Vivanet alla presente pubblicazione è stato prodotto durante l'attività di ricerca finanziata con le risorse del P.O.R. SARDEGNA F.S.E. 2007-2013-Obiettivo competitività regionale e occupazione, Asse IV Capitale umano, Linea di Attività l.3.1 «Avviso di chiamata per il finanziamento di Assegni di Ricerca».

Research background: Teachers’ beliefs play an important role in the way they teach and meet their students’ needs. Researching pre-established pre-service teachers’ beliefs gives evidence that they might impede pre-service teachers’ compliance with pre-service education. Gap in knowledge and Purpose of the study: Many studies have produced contradictory findings in terms of prospective change in pre-established pre-service teachers’ beliefs caused by the impact of pre-service education study programmes. Therefore, this study addresses the gap by enriching this field with research findings reinforcing the potential impact of the study programme on changes in pre-service teachers’ beliefs on effective English language teaching and learning expressed across different years of the study programme. Methods: The study uses the results of questionnaires completed by 99 randomly selected pre-service teachers enrolled in an English language teaching study programme provided by the Faculty o...

Motivation is an essential component in language learning. Prior studies often associate higher motivated students with higher achievement. The term ‘motivational strategy’ is proposed by Dörnyei to describe the efforts made to keep students enthusiastic and motivated to learn. Teacher, as a figure with direct contact with students during the learning process, are found to use motivational strategies in class. This study aimed at examining the use of motivational strategies by junior high school English teachers as perceived by students. This descriptive survey study was conducted on 195 highly-motivated students from 7 public and private schools with A-accreditation in Yogyakarta. The quantitative data were collected through valid and reliable questionnaires. The qualitative data obtained from interviews and observations were used as supporting data. The collected data were analyzed descriptively and were processed statistically with SPSS software. The study found teachers to appl...

Most professors would agree that part of every educator's job is to help students become better writers. But we only have a limited amount of time we can devote to marking up each term paper we receive, and generally prioritize using that time to provide feedback relating to critical thinking; the methods, expectations, and special concerns of the discipline being taught; and observations about the structure and development of the student's argument. If errors like unclear pronoun antecedents, misused apostrophes, or using "which" to introduce a restrictive clause are addressed at all, it may be simply with a red circle or with a strike-through line and a correction, which tells the student what was wrong and what would be correct, but not why. For some students that will suffice, but others will not learn and will keep making the same mistakes in paper after paper and will graduate still not knowing how to avoid the error.  Here I show how educators can provide thorough feedback about common writing mistakes with only a minimal increase in time spent grading by using a numbered error key.

We use language for different purposes that are mostly related to social practices in different contexts and perspectives. Discourse analysis is one of the disciplines which examines the use of language from different perspectives to reach a possible understanding of the discourse. This paper is also an attempt to analyze the language used in a particular context and perspective to understand and expose some constructed realities. The objective of this study is to examine the Canadian PM’s moral and ideological standpoint, his commitment to show solidarity with the grieved community, his determination to eradicate terrorism and his linguistic characterization of terrorism that he confirmed in his speech in the House of Common on March 18, 2019, after the Christchurch Mosque Shootings in New Zealand. The analysis is based on Fairclough’s conceptions in CDA. It claims that ideologies and texts are interrelated, and it is not possible to break this link between ideologies and texts bec...

This article documents the academic writing course design process for advanced Chinese learners aiming to pursue postgraduate degrees in business-related fields at their respective target universities in the UK. Four holders of BA degrees in the social sciences from second tier universities in Beijing were tested, surveyed and observed in detail to design a non-terminal twenty-hour pre-sessional writing course (ten two-hour sessions) to assist in their preparation for postgraduate study. All students held offers from Russell Group universities in the UK and had covered the IELTS requirement (6.5-7.0) for admission there prior to signing up for the EAP course discussed in this paper. The aim of the course is to enhance the students' academic skills and improve their performance in the following year when they attend UK universities. The course design process is informed by two sets of principles, incorporating both a top-down and a bottom-up perspective. The former is framed within an understanding of EAP as academic, rather than language training. The latter is based on needs analysis of student-specific weaknesses explored through the use of a questionnaire, a diagnostic writing test and in-class observations. Both perspectives feed into the course goals and objectives which serve as a basis for the course rationale. Aiming to bridge the gap between Chinese undergraduate and UK postgraduate study, the course combines textbooks with authentic materials and formative with summative assessment. Reflections on major constraints and limitations are provided throughout the process. This documented case of academic writing course design aims to reveal challenges faced by EAP practitioners working with UK and Chinese institutions, and to present a middle ground approach to resolving tensions between top-down and bottom-up pressures in the context of course design for advanced Chinese graduates.

It is the policy of Concordia College to allow students to retain ownership of the copyright to the thesis after deposit. However, as a condition of accepting the degree, the student grants the College the non-exclusive right to retain, use and distribute a limited number of copies of the thesis, together with the right to require its publication for archival use. Windy Roberts Dec. 18, 2009 _________________________________ _________________________________ Signature Date My gratitude also to Lisa Sethre-Hofstad, Viann Pederson, Donna Clementi and my masters cohort members for their advice and words of encouragement throughout the thesis process. Finally, I am happy to express my enormous gratitude to my husband David Roberts for his optimistic support and his editorial assistance. Many thanks also to my children for their patience and their support. v ABSTRACT Facebook (www.facebook.com) is an online social-networking site used by many high school and college students today in their personal lives. This thesis reports on an exploratory study which investigated the possible increase in writing skills of Spanish language students from incorporating a Facebook component into an otherwise standard college course. Fourth semester college Spanish students were asked to complete weekly writing assignments in Facebook throughout the semester. Regular writing practice on varied topics in the familiar and informal environment of Facebook was expected to increase the language production and the writing skill of the students. The study had several components. The researcher developed a syllabus integrating Facebook writing assignments with the rest of the course. Students completed an initial survey to determine their previous experience with Facebook and their disposition towards the use of computers in general. The entry writing skills of students were measured by applying a Standard-based Measurement of Proficiency writing rubric to an initial writing sample. The instructor monitored the performance of the students on Facebook throughout the semester. The writing skills of the students at the end of the semester were evaluated by applying the same rubric to a final writing sample. Finally, students completed a second survey containing specific questions about their experiences using Facebook as a learning tool throughout. The students wrote substantially in response to the weekly assignments. The measurements revealed a clear increase in their writing abilities between the initial and vi final writing samples. Students self-reported modest-to-considerable higher comfort levels and modest-to-considerable higher proficiency in writing due to the Facebook component. The results are clearly encouraging, but they are also somewhat tentative because of the study's exploratory nature. vii

Bu çalışma, Güneydoğu Anadolu Bölgesinde bulunan bir devlet üniversitesinde görev yapan bölüm sekreteri, yazı işleri ve personel işleri elemanlarına resmî yazışma konusunda Türkçe yazım eğitimi verilmesi ve bu eğitimin çeşitli bilimsel ölçütlerle değerlendirilmesi amacıyla yapılmıştır. Deneysel desenli bu çalışma çerçevesinde öncelikle bu eğitimi alacak personel tespit edilmiş ve söz konusu üniversitenin çeşitli birimlerinden onar adet resmî yazı örneği istenmiştir. Bu resmî yazılar Türkçenin cümle, ifade; yazım ve noktalama özellikleri bakımından değerlendirilmiş ve personelin bu yazılardaki Türkçe yazım durumuna göre bir ön test hazırlanmıştır. Bu ön teste ve daha önce alınan resmî yazı örneklerine göre personelin ihtiyacı olan bir eğitim planı yapılmıştır. Bu eğitimde teorik bilginin sunulmasının yanında birimlerden alınan yazılar ışığında örnekler üzerinden uygulamalar da yapılmıştır. Ayrıca, bu eğitimlerde personelin 1 Bu çalışma, Harran Üniversitesi BAP birimi tarafından desteklenen aynı adlı proje çerçevesinde üretilmiştir. Makalenin yazar etki oranı: 1. yazar %40, 2. yazar %20, 3. yazar %20, 4. yazar %10, 5. yazar %10'dur. Bu makalenin etik kurul onayı Harran Üniversitesinde 11.01.2022 tarih, 2022/06 sayı ve toplantı numarası ile alınmıştır.

The present study mainly aimed to investigate the students", instructors" and alumni"s perceptions of an effective English language teacher in the English Language Teaching (ELT) Department at Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU). To this aim, personal qualities, professional qualities, pedagogical skills and classroom behaviors of effective English language teachers as perceived by the students, instructors and alumni were identified. The study was designed as a qualitative and quantitative (i.e. a mixed-type) case study. The participants included 82 undergraduate ELT students (student teachers), 10 instructors and 20 alumni. The data was collected through questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews from three groups of participants. The results of the study showed that the perceptions of each group of participants generally differed from another although some similarities were identified. According to the students and alumni, in order to be an effective English language teacher, professional qualities, pedagogical skills and classroom behaviors are more important than personal qualities. On the other hand, the instructors believed that the combination of all qualities is necessary for being an effective English language teacher. The overall findings of the study revealed that the highly important qualities of an effective English language teacher as perceived by the participants were: being fair, reducing students" anxiety, being good at classroom management, knowing students" iv names, correcting students without offending, being encouraging, approachable and patient, teaching speaking skills well, having good knowledge of vocabulary and having correct pronunciation, respectively. Although most of the qualities were perceived important, three qualities which are gender, being young and having lived in an English speaking country, were been perceived slightly important. In the light of the results of the study, some implications for pedagogy and further research are suggested.