Master in Didactics of the English Language

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Classroom based performance-feedback influencing advanced English I students´ speaking skill in the target Language at the Foreign Language Department of the University of El Salvador
(2018-09-01) Flamenco Flamenco, Juan Antonio; Pichinte Ardon, Oscar Dalton; Cabrera Martinez, Ricardo; Cabrera Martinez, Ricardo
The research was carried out to provide a relationship between Classroom Based Performance feedback and the influence on students’ speaking skill in the Target Language at the Advanced Intensive English I courses at the Foreign Language Department of the University of El Salvador. The study showed a correlation between Classroom-based performance feedback and students´ speaking proficiency in the Target Language. This research demonstrated the correlation among the two variables mentioned before. Competence Based Performance is a new tendency for teaching a foreign language that emerged in the United States in the 1970s. This new tendency was well accepted and adapted in the United States Educational System as well as this type of teaching was based on what English as Foreign Language (EFL) students could do with the Target Language inside the classroom and they could demonstrate that they were able to do applying the knowledge that they have studied in the class by performing a task in the Target Language (Nunan, 1999). As it is stated in the findings of the present study, there is a strong correlation between Classroom based performance-feedback and students´ speaking proficiency when using the Target Language. The study showed that when professors from Advanced Intensive English I courses at the Foreign Language Department used oral activities (Oral presentations, Dialogues, Role plays, Debates and class discussion) to practice in the classroom, students demonstrated a higher proficiency in their Speaking ability. The main objective of this research was to find out the correlation between classroom based performance feedback and the proficiency that students demonstrated when speaking at the Advanced Intensive English I courses at the Foreign Language Department at the University of El Salvador. By considering this main objective, researchers provided scientific data that could demonstrate the correlation between Classroom Based Performance- Feedback and students´ speaking skill stating the correlation between the two variables. The first specific objective developed by the researchers was to find out what types of classroom based performance feedback were used to promote students’ speaking skill in the Advanced Intensive I courses at the Foreign Language Department at the University of El Salvador. Finally, the last objective was to describe the standards that students from Advanced Intensive I courses from the University of El Salvador are supposed to be reaching in this course. In order to find out the correlation between the two variables stated before; it was necessary to follow some steps. Researchers narrowed the topic down from ‘’ Classroom based performance and students´ speaking skill into Classroom based performance-feedback and students´ speaking skill. Then, researchers had to find out the appropriate literature review to answer the research question that was ‘’How does classroom based performance-feedback influence Advanced Intensive English I students’ speaking skill in the target language at the Foreign Language Department of the University of El Salvador?’’ After reading the literature review, the scholars wrote the statement of the problem and how to approach it. Besides that, the researchers created a survey about classroom based performance activities that were developed in the classroom. Furthermore, researchers piloted the survey to find out if the instrument was practical and reliable. The students that helped researchers out to pilot the survey were twenty students. Researchers made some changes to the survey due to the fact that some students got confused at the moment of completing it. After administering one more time the survey with the appropriate changes, scholars were able to determine which classroom based activities were used in the classroom to increase students’ speaking in the target language. According to the results gotten in the survey, researchers were able to determine that if teachers use Classroom based performance-feedback activities students will develop a higher proficiency when speaking. The most common oral activities used by students from Advanced Intensive I courses were oral presentations, dialogues, role plays, debates, and class discussion. Moreover, researchers concluded that there was a strong correlation between Classroom based performance-feedback and students´ speaking skill in the Target Language since they were able to prove that when teachers use classroom-based performance activities students were able to develop a higher proficiency when speaking.
Effects on teaching listening skills through videos to advanced students from the Foreign Language Departament at the University of El Salvador during the first semester 2010.
(2010-07-15) Guzmán Martínez, Rolando
In the Salvadoram education system, English is used as a foreign languaje and still complicated problem. Despite years of instruction, starting from junior hig school: seventh grade, many salvadoran cannot speak or understand simple english. A lack of proficient taching and suitable methods, including teaching tools are the important obstacles in teaching english. Every teachers knows those problems well. Therefore, in this paper, the researcher intends to help students to succeed in listening abilities, and provide new strategies, techniques and material for improving their listening skill and facilitating their learning. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of teaching EFL listening trough videos. The findings seggest that videos are helpful for students listenin improvement. english. Every teacher knows those problems
How to apply non artistic literature at an english for specific purpose course (ESP) through the use of reading comprehension techniques at Facultad Multidisciplinaria Oriental/UES
(2010-07-15) Sorto de Velis, Roxana Janeth; Marin Arroyo, Edwin; Carranza Campos, Miguel Ángel
The Facultad Multidisciplinaria Oriental is the unique public university located at Calle al Cuco, Kmt. 144, Cantón El Jute, and San Miguel. It is at the borders of Municipio de San Miguel, San Miguel. Also, this is a branch of the Unidad Central which is in the capital of El Salvador, San Salvador. This faculty provides around one hundred thirty two carriers with a total of a population 3,500 students. Specifically talking, in the career of Profesorado in English, there are about 65 students in the first, second and third year. They are attended by seven teachers of the English language section; six full time and one half time work. The students who finish this career do not have to do an action research work in order to get graduated; besides that, they have to pass two evaluations: ECAP (an average 2525 points) and the TOEFL (520 points). At the same time, they elaborate and perform a social project to teach English as social service hours working in different public institutions (for free). After that, they write the memory of it. So, investigations, merely, about ESP courses and the application of non artistic literature in the classroom are not done even in the Unidad Central of the Universidad de El Salvador. The English language has become a language of ‘life’ for all human beings around the world. The teaching/learning of the English language in El Salvador has taken a huge development since the eighties and nineties. This is due to the different factors that have influenced in it such as: education, socio-economic, technology and cultural. So, people from different ages need to develop their ability to learn the English language in order to have an active participation in the globalization in this XXI century.
Language learning effects of interactive presentations on Basic Intensive English students´ listening comprehension skill at the Foreign Language Department of the University of El Salvador, term I /2018
(2018-09-24) Mendoza Coreas, Jose David; Gamero Ortiz, Jose Ricardo; Avendaño Rojas, Xiomara del Carmen
For many years, verbal communication and printed text have been the main resources teachers have used to transmit knowledge to students. Even though, those resources have shown to produce good results, the XXI century demands from educators the incorporation of Information Communication Technologies (ICT) into the teaching-learning process to be updated with the new trends in education and help students develop their language and digital skills. In the present research another possibility was explored to go beyond verbal interaction and printed text to improve students’ English listening comprehension skill by making use of multimedia resources such as interactive presentations. However, the implementation of these emerging technologies requires from educators to do research in order to identify whether they produce positive or negative effects on students´ learning. Multimedia resources such as interactive presentations can be defined as the presentation of words, audios, videos and pictures that are intended to foster meaningful learning (Mayer and Colvin, 2008). This practice is supported by the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning developed by Mayer and other authors in 2005. The argument is that multimedia, based on eight principles, supports the way the human brain learns since it is assumed that people learn more deeply from words, audio and pictures than from words alone. Moreover, around the world many studies, with good results, have been carried out about this topic but there is still a lot to learn from multimedia resources. In fact, since results can vary from one context to another and from one population to another, it is important to wonder if they could have the same effects with University of El Salvador English language students than with students from other countries and if it is so, to determine the extent of those effects. For that reason the research question for the present study was: What are the language learning effects of interactive presentations on Basic Intensive English students´ listening comprehension skill at the Foreign Language Department of the University of El Salvador, term I/2018? In order to answer the research question, the general objective was: To identify the language learning effects of interactive presentations on Basic English II students´ English listening skill by comparing experimental and control group students’ outcomes related to listening subskills to recognize whether the implementation of these multimedia resources can be recommended in traditional language teaching classes at the Foreign Language Department of the University of El Salvador. About the methodology, this research was based on a quasi-experimental research design since the researcher worked with an experimental and a control group with no random assignment for selecting the sample. Instead, due to time constrains faced by teachers and students from other Basic Intensive English groups to be part of the present research, a convenience sampling method was used for choosing the two groups. The main criteria for selecting experimental and controls groups was that they must share the same characteristics of students from the universe in terms of age, English level, and gender variation combined with their time availability and willingness to participate in the research. The research procedure was the following: after selecting the experimental and control groups, the students took a listening comprehension pre-test at the beginning of the research and a post-test at the end. Then, during the following two weeks after the pre-test, students from the experimental group were exposed to interactive presentations designed by the researcher to improve their listening comprehension skill level. Those interactive presentations were available in a website called “Miues” where students had unlimited access to the resources and received feedback provided by the system after their performance. Finally, experimental group students and their English teacher answered a survey about their experience working with interactive presentations. Subsequently, a triangulation was made among the results from the pre-test, the post-test, and students´ and teacher’s surveys to identify if interactive presentations affected Basic Intensive English students´ listening comprehension skill at any level. From all discussed above, the importance of the present research relied on the fact that it tried to identify if the implementation of interactive presentations represented significant language learning effects on Basic Intensive English students´ English listening comprehension skill to be designed, developed and incorporated into traditional language learning classes at the Foreign Language Department of the University of El Salvador.
Speaking activities used to cope with students' Low oral proficiency.
(2010-07-15) Cabrera Martínez, Ricardo; Vides de Guzmán, Claudia Marina; Mora, Ileana
As English Foreign Language (EFL) teachers, the authors of this Action Research have observed that most teachers (including the authors) working in Foreign Language Department (FLD) at the University of El Salvador in charge of the courses aimed at developing the four macro skills: Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing (also called Intensive Courses) do not do much to help those students who show a low level of oral proficiency in the target language due to different reasons, such as: overcrowded classrooms, many hours spent dedicated to administrative duties, and the like. The syllabus of the courses mentioned above is usually designed to state the levels that students are going to move on according to the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) guidelines which are the guidelines currently followed by the teachers in charge of Intensive Courses. Different activities are planned to help take those students to the highest level that has been planned. Different evaluations are designed throug hout the course to measure student’s progress and, at the end of the semester; a passing grade is assigned to those students who are ready for the next course.
The effectiveness of alternative assessment compared with traditional assessment in the oral performance at Intermediate Intensive English students at the University of El Salvador
(2018-08-01) Baires Arévalo, Santos Edith; Recinos Abarca, Abraham; Cabrera Martínez, Ricardo; Cabrera Martínez, Ricardo
The purpose of this study is to determine if alternative assessment is more effective compared with traditional assessment specifically in the development of students Englishspeaking competences in the Intermediate Intensive I courses at the Department of Foreign Language School of Arts and Sciences, at the University of El Salvador. Nowadays, alternative assessment is getting more attention in the foreign language classroom because students are involved in tasks, performances, demonstrations, and interviews reflecting everyday situations within realistic and meaningful contexts. Therefore, the following research aims to find out if alternative assessment is more effective compared with traditional assessment specifically in the development of students English-speaking competences. The lack of adequate and appropriate alternative assessment strategies is one of the main problems encountered by the researchers of this study. There has been little systematic research investigating how teachers assess students’ oral performance in the classroom. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the status of classroom speaking assessment at the Department of Foreign Language School of Arts and Sciences, at the University of El Salvador and its effectiveness in students’ speaking competences. Based on the syllabus of the Intermediate Intensive I 2017 courses, it can be reflected that there is not an important application of alternative assessment strategies; in fact they are not even mentioned in the syllabus. This factor has called the researchers’ attention because the syllabus for the intermediate courses reflects an important emphasis on traditional assessment (paper and pencil exams). However, alternative assessment does not seem to be of equal importance as traditional assessment is. The study is targeted to students of (First- year BA in English Teaching and Modern Languages). The hypothesis states that the level of speaking competences will be higher with the use of alternative assessment than with the use of traditional assessment in students from Intermediate Intensive English courses, semester II 2017, at the FLD of the University of El Salvador. Another important aim of this study is to compare the role of alternative assessment and traditional assessment when assessing students’ speaking competences. The data was collected from questionnaires and interviews where teachers and students were the target population. Also, an intervention was developed to compare results between students under traditional vs alternative assessment strategies before the mid-term and final oral evaluation. The results have revealed that classroom speaking assessment currently conducted at the FLD of the University of El Salvador has broadly employed traditional assessment tasks. Therefore, there is still a strong tendency towards traditional formal testing to measure and report learning outcomes of students’ speaking competences. It is evident from this study that there is need for improvements in order to facilitate better learning outcomes in the classroom. The study provides a range of suggestions for an improvement of current practices, starting with a process to change the perceptions of teachers, students, and policy makers towards alternative assessment followed by practical actions such as teacher training, implementation of alternative assessment strategies to improve students’ speaking competences. In this study, both qualitative and quantitative analyses have been applied. This study was conducted from August 2017 to March 2018 in which a correlational research design was used. The hypothesis will be supported and the study findings suggest that most of the students prefer alternative assessment (86% see graphic 2) rather than traditional assessment in order to become effective and competent users of their target language. Therefore, this study focuses on the importance that alternative assessment strategies have in order to achieve a better speaking performance in the Intermediate Intensive I English courses at the FLD of the University of El Salvador. Finally, This study contains not only a quasiexperimental study demonstrating the utility of alternative assessment strategies in developing students’ oral competences but also useful recommendations addressed to authorities, teachers and students.
The effects of neuroscience strategies in the teaching process of english language on students oral performance from Intensive Intermediate English I from semester II-2017 at Foreign Language Department at University of El Salvador
(2018-10-29) Arévalo de Cruz, Dinora Isabel; Hernández Vaquerano, Misael Jonathan; Guzmán Martínez, Rolando; Cabrera Martínez, Ricardo
This paper presents a Quasi-experimental research design in the field of English Teaching. This was conducted at the Foreign Language Department at the University of El Salvador. This research was aimed to contribute in the teaching process to improve the oral performance of the Intensive Intermediate English I students, semester II-2017, group 04 from 1 to 3 pm. This research was implemented by Master students, to obtain a degree on English Didactics. The researchers intervened on the teaching process by the observation of the use of four neuroscience strategies during the class periods. These Neuroscience were Active Learning, colorful images, Taking Notes and Incidental Learning. Researchers gathered information by means of observation guides. During the intervention process the researchers provided the group of students in this class full color images in the classroom and the class material including units from workbook printed in full color. The researchers also provided complimentary activities which were developed by the professor. The researchers gave the materials to students and carried out the observation during 8 weeks of class. This thesis shows through the data analysis the results from students who were exposed to the neuroscience strategies. It is presented also the main findings of this study, four recommendations to authorities, to Foreign Language Department, to students in English bachelor and to futures researchers to continue research on this topic. Outcomes are based on two oral tests, the midterm oral exam and final oral evaluation after the intervention process. These are represented by means of both charts and graphs and the tendency graph to present the difference between the first oral evaluation previous the intervention and the final evaluation after the intervention. Each graph has its explanation based on the results. Furthermore, answers not only on the main research but also on the subsidiary questions are provided.
The impact of the use of focused listening strategies for the improvement of B2 level english students' listening-comprehension performance.
(2010-08-20) Rodríguez Domínguez, Kary Nohemy; Contreras Cárcamo, Mauricio Salvador
Action research, typically directed by the teacher, is the process of testing ideas in the classroom, analyzing its results, and deciding the implementation of the new ideas that worked, in a systematic way or beginning the process again with another idea. The results of this type of research are expected to be practical and relevant to the researcher and the coworkers. Critical reflection is the most important aspect of qualitative research and it can provide effective strategies for improving competencies in any educational field. This action research intends to find out if some strategies to improve the students’ listening comprehension performance can be of benefit for the learners to start coping with the difficulties many students find when facing oral texts in the FL classroom. For this research, we will take into account the information proposed by The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (CEFRL) about listening comprehension of oral texts and a number of strategies that, in our opinion, can help to overcome difficulties when dealing with this skill.

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