A Case Study of Academic Vocabulary in a Novice Student’s Writing at a UK University

Therova, Dana

doi:10.21462/jeltl.v6i3.609

Cited by 3 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…The inadequacy of textbooks as the primary resource in the classroom is a significant limitation. As found by Therova (2021), reading resources play a vital role in the acquisition of new academic vocabulary items. Consequently, the resorted to alternative sources to gain lexical input, although many are still determining whether they are gaining any.…”

Section: Lacksmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…Thus, its mastery would necessitate learners' ability to accurately comprehend and produce academic discourses (Nation, 2013), especially for those pursuing university-level programs in English-medium settings (Coxhead, 2021). Over the years, numerous studies have shown the role of academic vocabulary knowledge in improving learners' academic reading comprehension (Lawrence et al, 2022), academic writing (Csomay & Prades, 2018;Therova, 2021), listening comprehension (Dang, 2022;Ha, 2021), speaking assessments, such as presentations or debates (Smith et al, 2020;Yunus et al, 2016) as well as overall academic accomplishments (Skjelde & Coxhead, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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ESL Pre-university Learners’ Needs Analysis for Web-based English Academic Vocabulary Learning Resource

Fisal

Said

2023

IJLTER

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A needs analysis will assist ESL practitioners in designing instructional materials more efficiently by filling in the gaps where language learning is lacking. By adapting Hutchinson and Waters' (1987) needs-analysis model, this study investigates ESL pre-university learners’ English academic vocabulary learning needs as regards their attitude, learning experience, preferred learning method, and preferred content for a web-based learning resource. A questionnaire survey was distributed to 117 ESL Life Sciences Foundation students from a foundation studies centre in Kuala Lumpur. The quantitative data collected were analysed descriptively using SPSS Version 26. The findings showed that the learners had positive attitudes towards learning academic vocabulary. Even so, they faced language issues rooted in their lack thereof, particularly in productive skills, such as academic speaking and writing. Their current implicit ways of acquiring academic words and limited resources need to be revised. They also displayed high interest and readiness to explore other learning means, such as a web-based learning resource. The learning needs in the resource include presenting academic words in contexts through sample sentences and by using basic English words, such as synonyms. Additionally, learners need various vocabulary learning exercise types and multimedia. The study informs ESL practitioners on the criteria and elements to be considered to design, development, and successful delivery of academic vocabulary instruction that is effective, practical, and contextualised.

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Section: Lacksmentioning

confidence: 91%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

ESL Pre-university Learners’ Needs Analysis for Web-based English Academic Vocabulary Learning Resource

Fisal

Said

2023

IJLTER

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“…Academic writing is one of the formal writing styles used in schools and colleges. Due to its formality, the writer requires carefulness to write complete sentences and organize them specifically (Ariyanti, 2016;Khamkhien, 2021;Therova, 2021). The writer also needs to answer and demonstrate an understanding of the subject discussed in academic writing.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Undergraduate Students’ Difficulties in Writing Thesis Proposal

Fauzan

Hasanah

Hadijah

2022

IJEFL

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The purposes of this research were to find out the students’ difficulties in developing a paragraph and to understand the students’ difficulties in implementing the writing elements in writing their undergraduate thesis proposals. This research used the descriptive qualitative method. The instrument used in this research were interviews, documentation, and Oshima & Hogue’s Paragraph Rubric. The research subject was 7 eighth-semester students of UINSI Samarinda. The data were collected from the background of the study of the student’s undergraduate thesis proposals and analyzed with the Miles and Huberman Model. The result showed that the difficulties in developing a paragraph experienced by the students were related to too specific and too general topic sentences, poor supporting sentences, the absence of concluding sentences, inconsistent topic discussion, and inharmonic sentences. At the same time, the students’ difficulties shown in implementing the writing elements were found in the organization (the failure to run the sentences smoothly), vocabulary (informal phrases, redundancy, unclear word), grammar (singular and plural error, wrong word choice errors, missing word error, article error, subject-verb agreement error, fragment error, conjunction error, wrong word form error, wrong word order error, and preposition error), and mechanics (capitalization error, punctuation error, and spelling error). The causes of these problems were the interference of students’ native language and the lack of knowledge about the rules of the development of paragraph and writing elements.

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“…This section presents previous research about L2 learners' metacognitive knowledge in vocabulary learning. These studies, although addressing metacognitive knowledge, used alternative terms, such as beliefs (Moir & Nation, 2002;Chung & Fung, 2022), perspectives (Therova, 2021), or thoughtful use of strategies (Cornell et al, 2016). Research has shown that learners' beliefs have a significant impact on how they approach learning, which, in turn, affects the learning outcomes.…”

Section: What Metacognitive Knowledge Do Vocabulary Learners Have?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Relatable sentiments were felt by the learners in Cornell et al (2016), who reported their motivation to select words that their teacher potentially "will ask for" in subsequent tests (p. 837). Both Cornell et al (2016) and Therova (2021) found that EAP teachers were perceived by the participating students as vocabulary providers and source of lexical input. For effective teaching and learning to occur, teacher cognition and practice should be informed by research (Macalister, 2012).…”

Section: Teachers' Influences On Learners' Approaches To Vocabularymentioning

confidence: 99%

Metacognitive knowledge about vocabulary learning: A case study of an English for Academic Purposes programme

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This study investigates how vocabulary is perceived and approached in an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) context from the perspectives of learners, teachers, and theme books. It begins with a partial replication of Moir and Nation (2002) and explores the metacognitive knowledge or awareness of EAP learners and how it develops in relation to learning vocabulary for academic purposes. The study also investigates whether this knowledge aligns with evidence-based vocabulary principles recommended by Nation (2022) and Flavell’s (1979) task-strategy-person metacognitive framework. It also explores the roles that teachers and theme books play in promoting or developing knowledge about what vocabulary to learn and how.This research was conducted during a ten-week EAP programme at a New-Zealand-based university, with eight second language (L2) learners and three teachers from two EAP classes. Following Moir and Nation (2002), interviews elicited the participants’ knowledge about setting goals, selecting words for learning, aspects of knowing a word, learning approaches, and checking progress. Classroom observation data explored how teachers enacted their metacognitive knowledge and used EAP theme book-based vocabulary learning activities. Theme book analyses focused on metacognitive instruction, load and repetition of vocabulary, and applying Nation and Webb’s (2011) Technique Feature Analysis (TFA) to vocabulary activities.The study revealed (1) the EAP learners showed an increased metacognitive knowledge over the course about nature of word knowledge and deliberate and incidental learning approaches, guided by both the EAP teachers and the theme books; (2) the learners did not appear to develop their metacognitive awareness about word frequency and word selection; (3) despite efforts by the teachers to encourage the learners to reflect and assess their vocabulary learning progress, there was little evidence of growth in this area of metacognitive knowledge; (4) constraints such as time might have hampered the teachers’ efforts in developing learners’ metacognitive knowledge; and (5) the TFA (Nation & Webb, 2011) could be adapted for pragmatic reasons to enhance its potential for vocabulary learning and teaching.This thesis suggests several pedagogical and theoretical implications. The first is that explicit instruction, regular practice, and reflection on Nation’s (2022) vocabulary principles are important for L2 learners. They need time and practice to understand and apply the principles inside and outside the EAP classroom and this training takes planning and repetition to be effective and efficient. Theoretically, there is both value and challenge in using Flavell’s (1979) framework to explore EAP learners’ awareness of how to learn vocabulary. This study enhances our understanding about how and why learners approach vocabulary the way they do in a transitional L2 learning stage such as EAP, and how teachers and theme books contribute to this learning process.

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A Case Study of Academic Vocabulary in a Novice Student’s Writing at a UK University

Cited by 3 publications

References 28 publications

ESL Pre-university Learners’ Needs Analysis for Web-based English Academic Vocabulary Learning Resource

ESL Pre-university Learners’ Needs Analysis for Web-based English Academic Vocabulary Learning Resource

The Undergraduate Students’ Difficulties in Writing Thesis Proposal

Metacognitive knowledge about vocabulary learning: A case study of an English for Academic Purposes programme

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