Blended CEFR in Enhancing Vocabulary among Low Proficiency Students

Abstract

Emphasis on English language proficiency and digital literacy among Malaysian students in schools have been given utmost priority in the Malaysian Education Transformation (2013 -2025). With the introduction of Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), (Council of Europe, 2001) the emphasize for low proficient students to acquire vocabulary knowledge is crucial for them to move progressively into the next band as stated in the CEFR global scales. Yet, concerns arises as how the implementation of (CEFR) will impact the low proficient students with almost none to limited vocabulary acquisition. This poses an extremely high risk of these students being left far behind as English is a second language to most students. Thus, the aim of this study is to use blended learning to expand the vocabulary acquisition among low proficient students and enable them to move progressively in the CEFR band. The mixed method study employed questionnaires, face to face interviews, pre and post test and observations to collect data from 20 low proficient students aged 14 from a semi urban secondary school. Data collected were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. The study found that using blended learning not only enhances low proficient students vocabulary count in CEFR English but it also promotes autonomous learning and understanding of sentence structures. Hence, the use of blended learning proves to be a crucial alternative for low proficient students to enhance their vocabulary knowledge and understanding of sentence structures through digital literacy that is capable of motivating and challenging them to achieve their highest potential.

Blended Learning in Rural Primary ESL Classroom: Do or Don’t

“…The achievements recorded in previous blended learning studies demonstrated a clear indicator of the positive effects of blended learning on students' achievement and performance across the four major skills of the English language (Huang, 2019;Challob, Nadzrah & Hafizah, 2016;Ghazidadeh & Fatemipour, 2017;Krishnan & Yunus, 2019;Shih et al, 2015;Said et al, 2013). Students with blended learning experiences showed improvement and developed proficiency at a higher rate as compared to their peers who did not.…”

“…Students with blended learning experiences showed improvement and developed proficiency at a higher rate as compared to their peers who did not. Furthermore, a boost in students' motivation, participation and engagement during English lessons could be observed (Oweis, 2018;Albiladi & Alshareef, 2019;Krishnan &Yunus, 2019;Mustapha et al, 2010). The positive attitudes could be attributed to the integration of technology in teaching and learning, as it steered away from the common classroom environment with added fun and interactive elements.…”

“…In this respect, Majid and Stapa (2017) stated that blended learning helped to establish positive relationships within the learning space. It is noteworthy to mention that the success of the approach depended on the rapport between students and teachers (Krishnan & Yunus, 2019;Kintu, Zhu & Kagambe, 2017).…”

“…Blended learning also has a positive effect on the learning environment and experience. The approach allowed for personalisation and students' interests to take place (Krishnan &Yunus, 2019;Huang, 2019). In other terms, lessons were designed to cater to various learning preferences and styles.…”