Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Jan 19, 2024
Recognizing the importance of effective pronunciation training for English as a Foreign Language ... more Recognizing the importance of effective pronunciation training for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners is paramount for improving their comprehensive language proficiency and communication skills. This study investigated the influence of High Variability Pronunciation Training (HVPT) with and without captions, on the accuracy of English diphthong pronunciations among Saudi EFL learners. A total of 56 undergraduate EFL learners participated in the study, undergoing multiple sessions of high-variability (HV) and lowvariability (LV) pronunciation training. Various assessments were conducted to measure the learners' performance, including pretests, posttests, generalized tests, and delayed tests. Additionally, a survey was conducted to gain insights into the participants' perceptions of using YouGlish, a multimodal tool, as part of the training process. Data analysis used statistical techniques such as t-tests, ANOVA tests, and descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings indicate that both HV and LV improved the learners' performance in English pronunciation, regardless of captioning. LV without captions consistently yielded the highest scores. The students also had positive perceptions of YouGlish as a multimodal tool. These results offer valuable insights into the efficacy of HV and LV in facilitating EFL learners' speech production and offer implications for educators and practitioners involved in designing effective instructional strategies for enhancing EFL learners' pronunciation skills.
Humanities & social sciences communications, Feb 6, 2024
Media representations are susceptible to attitudes. This study examined how the press frames the ... more Media representations are susceptible to attitudes. This study examined how the press frames the attitudes of Western, non-Western, and Saudi newspapers towards employing Saudi women in the military, a topic which has formed a rich area of interest for the press between 2018 and 2023. To that end, a corpus comprising 29 articles (10,288 words) from both local and international publications was compiled, with the purpose of conducting critical discourse analysis. The study analysed corpus concordances both quantitatively and qualitatively seeking to identify attitudes generated through language and discourse, either implicitly or explicitly. Following Van Dijk's socio-cognitive approach, the study identified keywords and co-occurrent patterns. It was found that news articles could be classified into three patterns of their representation of Saudi women empowerment: advocating, biased and neutral. This study offers a reflection on how the linguistic features of newspapers frame females and address female issues on diverse grounds.
This researcher has been greatly distressed, as fifth graders year after year have disregarded me... more This researcher has been greatly distressed, as fifth graders year after year have disregarded mental math strategies for the standard algorithm. Mathematically proficient students should be flexible, efficient and accurate when solving mental calculations. This researcher set out to find out how fifth graders' mental math practice improved their numeracy. The questions addressed included how students improved in flexibility, accuracy and speed. This should inform the practice of teachers to help better our numeracy of our students. This article contends that Number Talks practiced two days a week, benefits numeracy in 22 fifth graders during a six-week cycle. In this Triangulation Mixed-Methods Design, data was collected that included pretestposttest same test combined with an interview where the participants explained the strategies they used. The mean showed a greater improvement in the treatment group, however, paired-samples t-tests findings indicated flexibility and accura...
Exam-centeredness and autonomy usually cannot be seen as positively concomitant terms. While auto... more Exam-centeredness and autonomy usually cannot be seen as positively concomitant terms. While autonomy is generally and mostly linked with self-directed learning, which is advocated in education, exam-centred learning is directed by and towards exams, which stand as external pressures that can corrupt the process of learning. Literature in the area acknowledges that autonomy in education is a western ideology, which mostly does not apply to learners from other non-western contexts, especially Middle-eastern or Arabic contexts, which is the target of the upcoming study. Besides acknowledging the passiveness and teacher-dependence of these learners, this study assumes that, due to exam constrains, learners" autonomy can neither be existed nor promoted in such an exam-oriented context. The current study aims at evaluating a presupposition of introducing credit-and exam-free English courses in relation to the targeted learners" motivations and sense of autonomy or responsibilit...
Nowadays, especially after the COVID-19 crisis lockdown, the heavy reliance on technology and onl... more Nowadays, especially after the COVID-19 crisis lockdown, the heavy reliance on technology and online platforms led to a greater expectation of more learning autonomy among English learners in EFL contexts such as Saudi Arabia. The sudden shift to online learning requires an investigation into students’ readiness and willingness for such a mode of learning. This can provide educators with many prospects about learning outcomes achievement and assessment, test performance, and interaction during classes. Therefore, the current study seeks to contribute to the well-known area of learner autonomy research, which is still lacking in the context of the study, by exploring the readiness of Saudi first-year undergraduate English learners towards online education. Participants’ level of readiness is identified according to their autonomous behaviors and activities. The study will also assess the investigated concept considering the influence of gender and field of study of the participants o...
This paper addresses the phenomenon of dubbing foreign non-Arab media content, particularly melod... more This paper addresses the phenomenon of dubbing foreign non-Arab media content, particularly melodramas, using Arabic colloquial varieties instead of the Standard language. It attempts to discover what dialect or variety is preferred most by the participants included, and if the choices made were driven by any suggested criterion. The sample is randomly formed through a mainly quantitative online questionnaire, including 279 participants from Saudi Arabia. A good number of the sample opted for the Standard language over the colloquial varieties, and when they had to choose one from the colloquial, they opted for the Syrian dialect. The strong affinity to the Turkish soap opera, which achieved its success through the Syrian dialect, seems to nourish a more positive attitude toward the Syrian dialect compared to other dialects used and provided by the study, such as the Khaleeji, Hijazi, and Egyptian dialects. However, with foreign dramas other than the Turkish, whatever the criterion ...
Many second language learners have the belief that ‘native’ models of language are the only appro... more Many second language learners have the belief that ‘native’ models of language are the only appropriate means of communication completely ignoring the fact they themselves interact in a non-native context and English as an International Language (EIL) or English as Lingua Franca (ELF) models are increasingly predominant in the globalised world. Our study investigates three broad concepts; the expectation of medical students, the paradigm of teaching English in medical schools, and EIL alternative option available to students. We aim to answer three questions: what are medical students’ attitudes towards different models of English? Which model is most appropriate for them and why?, and to which extent are students aware of their future needs in terms of language? Data was collected using questionnaires and interviews with medical students in the medical school of a Saudi university. The study found that in terms of pronunciation, students preferred native models citing originality, ...
Journal of Applied Linguistics and Language Research, 2016
Nowadays, academia is impacted by globalisation and the internationalization movement; which are ... more Nowadays, academia is impacted by globalisation and the internationalization movement; which are carried out by the use of English. English has widely become the dominant language of instruction in higher education. Among the vast aims and objectives of such a widespread movement are apparently these goals: to create a unified scientific community and to pave the communication channels in order to access or be accessible for knowledge and science advancements. This well-promoted situation should consequently welcome various English speakers, native and non-native. That is, various varieties of English—or Englishes as defined by sociolinguists—can be brought together into a single milieu, since what matters in such a context is the subject matter knowledge delivered in English rather than the language itself or a specific English or variety of it. However, if the delivery of the content knowledge undertaken by teachers is confusing to students, there would be a possibility for conten...
This research paper seeks to determine learner autonomy level in relation to incidental vocabular... more This research paper seeks to determine learner autonomy level in relation to incidental vocabulary acquisition (IVA), out of the realization of both concepts as prominent factors in language learning in general, and English for Specific Purposes (ESP) in particular. The paper particularly aims at examining the influence of participants', medical and applied medical sciences students, selflearning for specialized vocabulary on their autonomy levels. It assumes that leaving the task of acquiring specialized vocabulary to learners' endeavors, completely, leads to a positive effect on their autonomy levels. Participant autonomy levels were self-assessed through pretest and posttest quantitative surveys. The survey items aimed at assessing the participants' learning levels according to two categories of dependency and independency. The quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS to generate descriptive data. The overall results were generated through computing mean scores for each category of items at both phases, i.e. pretest and posttest. No significant differences between the two categories' data were indicated. Yet, a positive change occurred to the independency category in comparison to that of dependency, which remained somehow static through the period of the study. Although the results of this latter category indicated the learners' need for teacher guidance regarding the specialized vocabulary, the change in the first category should not be ignored. That is, IVA can be a positive agent in fostering learners' control of their learning, namely, autonomy. Simultaneously, since the results of both categories are somehow convergent, both approaches of explicit and implicit instructions should be considered in IVS approaches in the realm of ESP.
... Moreover, ESP is viewed by Essen (2000) as a major reason for the existence of EIL, hence a v... more ... Moreover, ESP is viewed by Essen (2000) as a major reason for the existence of EIL, hence a variety of English as lingua franca 1 . Widdowson (1997:144) argues that EIL and ESP are ... A shift was subsequently made in the process of needs analysis, moving the learner's ...
This research project would not have been achieved without the support and guidance I received fr... more This research project would not have been achieved without the support and guidance I received from academics at the Centre for Applied Linguistics in the University of Warwick. I would particularly like to thank my supervisor Dr. Richard Smith for his guidance and encouragement along the way. He helped me fine-tune my research questions, data and findings. It was in his English as an International Language MA module in 2009 that initial ideas for this research evolved. I would also like to thank my former supervisor Dr. Mukul Saxena who spent countless hours answering my questions and editing my drafts during the first two years of this research journey. I am deeply grateful to him for guiding me through this research process and for helping me building its first chapters step by step. I am also grateful to Dr. Ema Ushioda, the Director of the Graduate Studies, and Dr. Neil Murray, my second supervisor. I was fortunate enough having them as my examiners in 2013. Their feedback was very valuable to me. My gratitude also goes to Dr. Keith Richards, the former Director of Graduate Studies, for his enthusiasm to constantly help all the students. In addition, I owe a great gratitude to my friend and colleague Dr. Grami Al-Ghamdi who never hesitated to provide his advice and help during all the stages of this research. I feel deeply grateful to him for reading and commenting on pieces of my work. I especially appreciate his helpful suggestions and input throughout my graduate studies. Also, I owe great gratitude to the medical professionals and students who willingly participated in this study and assisted in data collection. Without their cooperation and assistance, my dissertation would not have been possible. I would like to thank all those who have contributed directly or indirectly to the successful completion of this research.
Autonomous Behaviours in EFL Contexts: A Comparative Study of English Students in Blended and Conventional Instructional Modes, 2021
learners' autonomy (LA) has been indicated by several studies Therefore the rendered potential of... more learners' autonomy (LA) has been indicated by several studies Therefore the rendered potential of technology constitutes the very assumption of this study the study adopts a comparative design that matches those learners' levels of behaviours to their Findings outlined certain areas in which all students were highly autonomous and indicated learners in BL revealed an overall lower level of the study referred to age and schooling gap as possible the participants' general level of LA is considered
Onomázein Revista de lingüística filología y traducción
This study observes a particular group of students learning medical terms (MT) implicitly through... more This study observes a particular group of students learning medical terms (MT) implicitly through studying medical subjects. That is, based on the policy followed in the context of the study, students shall not receive any deliberate terms instruction. This paper investigates their experiences and attitudes towards acquiring MT in such a situation. Students’ acquisition and proficiency, hypothesizing a positive relationship between the two constructs, are self-assessed through pre- and post-test surveys. The surveys included 114 and 95 students in each phase, respectively. Prior to the surveys, focus group discussions were conducted, according to which the questionnaire was developed. A statistical correlational Pearson test was done to examine the relationship between students’ proficiency and incidental terms acquisition. The results indicated a significant negative relationship between the two constructs tested. The study also tested the effect of time on increasing acquisition t...
learners' autonomy (LA) has been indicated by several studies Therefore the rendered potential of... more learners' autonomy (LA) has been indicated by several studies Therefore the rendered potential of technology constitutes the very assumption of this study the study adopts a comparative design that matches those learners' levels of behaviours to their Findings outlined certain areas in which all students were highly autonomous and indicated learners in BL revealed an overall lower level of the study referred to age and schooling gap as possible the participants' general level of LA is considered
This research paper seeks to determine learner autonomy level in relation to incidental vocabular... more This research paper seeks to determine learner autonomy level in relation to incidental vocabulary acquisition (IVA), out of the realization of both concepts as prominent factors in language learning in general, and English for Specific Purposes (ESP) in particular. The paper particularly aims at examining the influence of participants', medical and applied medical sciences students, self-learning for specialized vocabulary on their autonomy levels. It assumes that leaving the task of acquiring specialized vocabulary to learners' endeavors, completely, leads to a positive effect on their autonomy levels. Participant autonomy levels were self-assessed through pretest and posttest quantitative surveys. The survey items aimed at assessing the participants' learning levels according to two categories of dependency and independency. The quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS to generate descriptive data. The overall results were generated through computing mean scores for each category of items at both phases, i.e. pretest and posttest. No significant differences between the two categories' data were indicated. Yet, a positive change occurred to the independency category in comparison to that of dependency, which remained somehow static through the period of the study. Although the results of this latter category indicated the learners' need for teacher guidance regarding the specialized vocabulary, the change in the first category should not be ignored. That is, IVA can be a positive agent in fostering learners' control of their learning, namely, autonomy. Simultaneously, since the results of both categories are somehow convergent, both approaches of explicit and implicit instructions should be considered in IVS approaches in the realm of ESP.
This paper addresses the phenomenon of dubbing foreign non-Arab media content, particularly melod... more This paper addresses the phenomenon of dubbing foreign non-Arab media content, particularly melodramas, using Arabic colloquial varieties instead of the Standard language. It attempts to discover what dialect or variety is preferred most by the participants included, and if the choices made were driven by any suggested criterion. The sample is randomly formed through a mainly quantitative online questionnaire, including 279 participants from Saudi Arabia. A good number of the sample opted for the Standard language over the colloquial varieties, and when they had to choose one from the colloquial, they opted for the Syrian dialect. The strong affinity to the Turkish soap opera, which achieved its success through the Syrian dialect, seems to nourish a more positive attitude toward the Syrian dialect compared to other dialects used and provided by the study, such as the Khaleeji, Hijazi, and Egyptian dialects. However, with foreign dramas other than the Turkish, whatever the criterion behind selecting certain varieties for dubbing, the Standard comes in at first place, then the Syrian. That is, the Khaleeji with the Indian drama, and the Hijazi with Korean drama are not favoured by the participants. This latter finding is interesting, since the Khaleeji and Hijazi are the participants' own dialects (or those closest to them), yet were rejected nonetheless.
This paper intends to propose a video-based course that can meet specific linguistic needs of med... more This paper intends to propose a video-based course that can meet specific linguistic needs of medical freshmen and/or sophomores. The course is built on a medical soap opera, Greys Anatomy, as an authentic source of medical English and English for medical purposes (EMP). It mainly focuses on the listening and speaking skills. An eight-week plan is included as a sample of how medical drama can be used in teaching EMP, a subfield of teaching English for specific purposes (ESP). Studying Medicine in an English context means that these students are extensively exposed to English. All the materials they are dealing with are in English, i.e. they do comprehensive readings in English textbooks, and write all the course works in English. Yet, apparently, they lack pragmatic experience in medical English, which is reflected in their listening and speaking skills. Therefore, the proposed course intends to prepare them for the commonly used language in hospitals through a TV drama that imitates and reflects reality to a great extent. The course aims at enabling their understanding of the pragmatics needed at hospitals; hence their communicative abilities, listening and speaking skills can be improved.
Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Jan 19, 2024
Recognizing the importance of effective pronunciation training for English as a Foreign Language ... more Recognizing the importance of effective pronunciation training for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners is paramount for improving their comprehensive language proficiency and communication skills. This study investigated the influence of High Variability Pronunciation Training (HVPT) with and without captions, on the accuracy of English diphthong pronunciations among Saudi EFL learners. A total of 56 undergraduate EFL learners participated in the study, undergoing multiple sessions of high-variability (HV) and lowvariability (LV) pronunciation training. Various assessments were conducted to measure the learners' performance, including pretests, posttests, generalized tests, and delayed tests. Additionally, a survey was conducted to gain insights into the participants' perceptions of using YouGlish, a multimodal tool, as part of the training process. Data analysis used statistical techniques such as t-tests, ANOVA tests, and descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings indicate that both HV and LV improved the learners' performance in English pronunciation, regardless of captioning. LV without captions consistently yielded the highest scores. The students also had positive perceptions of YouGlish as a multimodal tool. These results offer valuable insights into the efficacy of HV and LV in facilitating EFL learners' speech production and offer implications for educators and practitioners involved in designing effective instructional strategies for enhancing EFL learners' pronunciation skills.
Humanities & social sciences communications, Feb 6, 2024
Media representations are susceptible to attitudes. This study examined how the press frames the ... more Media representations are susceptible to attitudes. This study examined how the press frames the attitudes of Western, non-Western, and Saudi newspapers towards employing Saudi women in the military, a topic which has formed a rich area of interest for the press between 2018 and 2023. To that end, a corpus comprising 29 articles (10,288 words) from both local and international publications was compiled, with the purpose of conducting critical discourse analysis. The study analysed corpus concordances both quantitatively and qualitatively seeking to identify attitudes generated through language and discourse, either implicitly or explicitly. Following Van Dijk's socio-cognitive approach, the study identified keywords and co-occurrent patterns. It was found that news articles could be classified into three patterns of their representation of Saudi women empowerment: advocating, biased and neutral. This study offers a reflection on how the linguistic features of newspapers frame females and address female issues on diverse grounds.
This researcher has been greatly distressed, as fifth graders year after year have disregarded me... more This researcher has been greatly distressed, as fifth graders year after year have disregarded mental math strategies for the standard algorithm. Mathematically proficient students should be flexible, efficient and accurate when solving mental calculations. This researcher set out to find out how fifth graders' mental math practice improved their numeracy. The questions addressed included how students improved in flexibility, accuracy and speed. This should inform the practice of teachers to help better our numeracy of our students. This article contends that Number Talks practiced two days a week, benefits numeracy in 22 fifth graders during a six-week cycle. In this Triangulation Mixed-Methods Design, data was collected that included pretestposttest same test combined with an interview where the participants explained the strategies they used. The mean showed a greater improvement in the treatment group, however, paired-samples t-tests findings indicated flexibility and accura...
Exam-centeredness and autonomy usually cannot be seen as positively concomitant terms. While auto... more Exam-centeredness and autonomy usually cannot be seen as positively concomitant terms. While autonomy is generally and mostly linked with self-directed learning, which is advocated in education, exam-centred learning is directed by and towards exams, which stand as external pressures that can corrupt the process of learning. Literature in the area acknowledges that autonomy in education is a western ideology, which mostly does not apply to learners from other non-western contexts, especially Middle-eastern or Arabic contexts, which is the target of the upcoming study. Besides acknowledging the passiveness and teacher-dependence of these learners, this study assumes that, due to exam constrains, learners" autonomy can neither be existed nor promoted in such an exam-oriented context. The current study aims at evaluating a presupposition of introducing credit-and exam-free English courses in relation to the targeted learners" motivations and sense of autonomy or responsibilit...
Nowadays, especially after the COVID-19 crisis lockdown, the heavy reliance on technology and onl... more Nowadays, especially after the COVID-19 crisis lockdown, the heavy reliance on technology and online platforms led to a greater expectation of more learning autonomy among English learners in EFL contexts such as Saudi Arabia. The sudden shift to online learning requires an investigation into students’ readiness and willingness for such a mode of learning. This can provide educators with many prospects about learning outcomes achievement and assessment, test performance, and interaction during classes. Therefore, the current study seeks to contribute to the well-known area of learner autonomy research, which is still lacking in the context of the study, by exploring the readiness of Saudi first-year undergraduate English learners towards online education. Participants’ level of readiness is identified according to their autonomous behaviors and activities. The study will also assess the investigated concept considering the influence of gender and field of study of the participants o...
This paper addresses the phenomenon of dubbing foreign non-Arab media content, particularly melod... more This paper addresses the phenomenon of dubbing foreign non-Arab media content, particularly melodramas, using Arabic colloquial varieties instead of the Standard language. It attempts to discover what dialect or variety is preferred most by the participants included, and if the choices made were driven by any suggested criterion. The sample is randomly formed through a mainly quantitative online questionnaire, including 279 participants from Saudi Arabia. A good number of the sample opted for the Standard language over the colloquial varieties, and when they had to choose one from the colloquial, they opted for the Syrian dialect. The strong affinity to the Turkish soap opera, which achieved its success through the Syrian dialect, seems to nourish a more positive attitude toward the Syrian dialect compared to other dialects used and provided by the study, such as the Khaleeji, Hijazi, and Egyptian dialects. However, with foreign dramas other than the Turkish, whatever the criterion ...
Many second language learners have the belief that ‘native’ models of language are the only appro... more Many second language learners have the belief that ‘native’ models of language are the only appropriate means of communication completely ignoring the fact they themselves interact in a non-native context and English as an International Language (EIL) or English as Lingua Franca (ELF) models are increasingly predominant in the globalised world. Our study investigates three broad concepts; the expectation of medical students, the paradigm of teaching English in medical schools, and EIL alternative option available to students. We aim to answer three questions: what are medical students’ attitudes towards different models of English? Which model is most appropriate for them and why?, and to which extent are students aware of their future needs in terms of language? Data was collected using questionnaires and interviews with medical students in the medical school of a Saudi university. The study found that in terms of pronunciation, students preferred native models citing originality, ...
Journal of Applied Linguistics and Language Research, 2016
Nowadays, academia is impacted by globalisation and the internationalization movement; which are ... more Nowadays, academia is impacted by globalisation and the internationalization movement; which are carried out by the use of English. English has widely become the dominant language of instruction in higher education. Among the vast aims and objectives of such a widespread movement are apparently these goals: to create a unified scientific community and to pave the communication channels in order to access or be accessible for knowledge and science advancements. This well-promoted situation should consequently welcome various English speakers, native and non-native. That is, various varieties of English—or Englishes as defined by sociolinguists—can be brought together into a single milieu, since what matters in such a context is the subject matter knowledge delivered in English rather than the language itself or a specific English or variety of it. However, if the delivery of the content knowledge undertaken by teachers is confusing to students, there would be a possibility for conten...
This research paper seeks to determine learner autonomy level in relation to incidental vocabular... more This research paper seeks to determine learner autonomy level in relation to incidental vocabulary acquisition (IVA), out of the realization of both concepts as prominent factors in language learning in general, and English for Specific Purposes (ESP) in particular. The paper particularly aims at examining the influence of participants', medical and applied medical sciences students, selflearning for specialized vocabulary on their autonomy levels. It assumes that leaving the task of acquiring specialized vocabulary to learners' endeavors, completely, leads to a positive effect on their autonomy levels. Participant autonomy levels were self-assessed through pretest and posttest quantitative surveys. The survey items aimed at assessing the participants' learning levels according to two categories of dependency and independency. The quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS to generate descriptive data. The overall results were generated through computing mean scores for each category of items at both phases, i.e. pretest and posttest. No significant differences between the two categories' data were indicated. Yet, a positive change occurred to the independency category in comparison to that of dependency, which remained somehow static through the period of the study. Although the results of this latter category indicated the learners' need for teacher guidance regarding the specialized vocabulary, the change in the first category should not be ignored. That is, IVA can be a positive agent in fostering learners' control of their learning, namely, autonomy. Simultaneously, since the results of both categories are somehow convergent, both approaches of explicit and implicit instructions should be considered in IVS approaches in the realm of ESP.
... Moreover, ESP is viewed by Essen (2000) as a major reason for the existence of EIL, hence a v... more ... Moreover, ESP is viewed by Essen (2000) as a major reason for the existence of EIL, hence a variety of English as lingua franca 1 . Widdowson (1997:144) argues that EIL and ESP are ... A shift was subsequently made in the process of needs analysis, moving the learner's ...
This research project would not have been achieved without the support and guidance I received fr... more This research project would not have been achieved without the support and guidance I received from academics at the Centre for Applied Linguistics in the University of Warwick. I would particularly like to thank my supervisor Dr. Richard Smith for his guidance and encouragement along the way. He helped me fine-tune my research questions, data and findings. It was in his English as an International Language MA module in 2009 that initial ideas for this research evolved. I would also like to thank my former supervisor Dr. Mukul Saxena who spent countless hours answering my questions and editing my drafts during the first two years of this research journey. I am deeply grateful to him for guiding me through this research process and for helping me building its first chapters step by step. I am also grateful to Dr. Ema Ushioda, the Director of the Graduate Studies, and Dr. Neil Murray, my second supervisor. I was fortunate enough having them as my examiners in 2013. Their feedback was very valuable to me. My gratitude also goes to Dr. Keith Richards, the former Director of Graduate Studies, for his enthusiasm to constantly help all the students. In addition, I owe a great gratitude to my friend and colleague Dr. Grami Al-Ghamdi who never hesitated to provide his advice and help during all the stages of this research. I feel deeply grateful to him for reading and commenting on pieces of my work. I especially appreciate his helpful suggestions and input throughout my graduate studies. Also, I owe great gratitude to the medical professionals and students who willingly participated in this study and assisted in data collection. Without their cooperation and assistance, my dissertation would not have been possible. I would like to thank all those who have contributed directly or indirectly to the successful completion of this research.
Autonomous Behaviours in EFL Contexts: A Comparative Study of English Students in Blended and Conventional Instructional Modes, 2021
learners' autonomy (LA) has been indicated by several studies Therefore the rendered potential of... more learners' autonomy (LA) has been indicated by several studies Therefore the rendered potential of technology constitutes the very assumption of this study the study adopts a comparative design that matches those learners' levels of behaviours to their Findings outlined certain areas in which all students were highly autonomous and indicated learners in BL revealed an overall lower level of the study referred to age and schooling gap as possible the participants' general level of LA is considered
Onomázein Revista de lingüística filología y traducción
This study observes a particular group of students learning medical terms (MT) implicitly through... more This study observes a particular group of students learning medical terms (MT) implicitly through studying medical subjects. That is, based on the policy followed in the context of the study, students shall not receive any deliberate terms instruction. This paper investigates their experiences and attitudes towards acquiring MT in such a situation. Students’ acquisition and proficiency, hypothesizing a positive relationship between the two constructs, are self-assessed through pre- and post-test surveys. The surveys included 114 and 95 students in each phase, respectively. Prior to the surveys, focus group discussions were conducted, according to which the questionnaire was developed. A statistical correlational Pearson test was done to examine the relationship between students’ proficiency and incidental terms acquisition. The results indicated a significant negative relationship between the two constructs tested. The study also tested the effect of time on increasing acquisition t...
learners' autonomy (LA) has been indicated by several studies Therefore the rendered potential of... more learners' autonomy (LA) has been indicated by several studies Therefore the rendered potential of technology constitutes the very assumption of this study the study adopts a comparative design that matches those learners' levels of behaviours to their Findings outlined certain areas in which all students were highly autonomous and indicated learners in BL revealed an overall lower level of the study referred to age and schooling gap as possible the participants' general level of LA is considered
This research paper seeks to determine learner autonomy level in relation to incidental vocabular... more This research paper seeks to determine learner autonomy level in relation to incidental vocabulary acquisition (IVA), out of the realization of both concepts as prominent factors in language learning in general, and English for Specific Purposes (ESP) in particular. The paper particularly aims at examining the influence of participants', medical and applied medical sciences students, self-learning for specialized vocabulary on their autonomy levels. It assumes that leaving the task of acquiring specialized vocabulary to learners' endeavors, completely, leads to a positive effect on their autonomy levels. Participant autonomy levels were self-assessed through pretest and posttest quantitative surveys. The survey items aimed at assessing the participants' learning levels according to two categories of dependency and independency. The quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS to generate descriptive data. The overall results were generated through computing mean scores for each category of items at both phases, i.e. pretest and posttest. No significant differences between the two categories' data were indicated. Yet, a positive change occurred to the independency category in comparison to that of dependency, which remained somehow static through the period of the study. Although the results of this latter category indicated the learners' need for teacher guidance regarding the specialized vocabulary, the change in the first category should not be ignored. That is, IVA can be a positive agent in fostering learners' control of their learning, namely, autonomy. Simultaneously, since the results of both categories are somehow convergent, both approaches of explicit and implicit instructions should be considered in IVS approaches in the realm of ESP.
This paper addresses the phenomenon of dubbing foreign non-Arab media content, particularly melod... more This paper addresses the phenomenon of dubbing foreign non-Arab media content, particularly melodramas, using Arabic colloquial varieties instead of the Standard language. It attempts to discover what dialect or variety is preferred most by the participants included, and if the choices made were driven by any suggested criterion. The sample is randomly formed through a mainly quantitative online questionnaire, including 279 participants from Saudi Arabia. A good number of the sample opted for the Standard language over the colloquial varieties, and when they had to choose one from the colloquial, they opted for the Syrian dialect. The strong affinity to the Turkish soap opera, which achieved its success through the Syrian dialect, seems to nourish a more positive attitude toward the Syrian dialect compared to other dialects used and provided by the study, such as the Khaleeji, Hijazi, and Egyptian dialects. However, with foreign dramas other than the Turkish, whatever the criterion behind selecting certain varieties for dubbing, the Standard comes in at first place, then the Syrian. That is, the Khaleeji with the Indian drama, and the Hijazi with Korean drama are not favoured by the participants. This latter finding is interesting, since the Khaleeji and Hijazi are the participants' own dialects (or those closest to them), yet were rejected nonetheless.
This paper intends to propose a video-based course that can meet specific linguistic needs of med... more This paper intends to propose a video-based course that can meet specific linguistic needs of medical freshmen and/or sophomores. The course is built on a medical soap opera, Greys Anatomy, as an authentic source of medical English and English for medical purposes (EMP). It mainly focuses on the listening and speaking skills. An eight-week plan is included as a sample of how medical drama can be used in teaching EMP, a subfield of teaching English for specific purposes (ESP). Studying Medicine in an English context means that these students are extensively exposed to English. All the materials they are dealing with are in English, i.e. they do comprehensive readings in English textbooks, and write all the course works in English. Yet, apparently, they lack pragmatic experience in medical English, which is reflected in their listening and speaking skills. Therefore, the proposed course intends to prepare them for the commonly used language in hospitals through a TV drama that imitates and reflects reality to a great extent. The course aims at enabling their understanding of the pragmatics needed at hospitals; hence their communicative abilities, listening and speaking skills can be improved.
A Case Study of ESP for Medical Workplaces in Saudi Arabia from a Needs Analysis Perspective!, 2014
This case study has been built on a theoretical basis that recognises the current status of Engli... more This case study has been built on a theoretical basis that recognises the current status of English as an international language, especially its influence on specific domains. The theories underpinning the study generally recognise that the presumed ‘superiority’ of native speakers can be depreciated, taking into account the huge numbers of non-native speakers worldwide. Specifically, the study has targeted the medical field in Saudi Arabia from a needs analysis perspective, as this domain represents a typical representative milieu where the adopted theories of the language universality and its role as lingua franca can be validated. Interviews and questionnaires were used in a mixed-method approach, to investigate needs, attitudes, and motivations of both medical students and practitioners in their current or prospective situations. Before conducting the research, it was assumed that the researched constructs in presumably two different sites, i.e. academic and professional, would engender different sets of data. Yet, the participants addressed viewpoints appeared to be mostly unanimous. The findings also showed that the increased influx of Saudis in the medical workplaces has minimised the role of English as a communicative means, and English was relegated to specific occupational purposes in such settings. This specific English refers mainly to medical terms, which are mostly code-mixed with Arabic. The study concluded that in this multilingual setting, Arabic has somehow restricted the ‘nativisation’ of English in the Saudi medical spheres. One of the initial motives of the research was to allow a space for non-native Englishes in the context of the study. However, the study found that the issue of certain variety, whether native or non-native, is at a secondary position to the participants, compared to other prioritised needs. Furthermore, the findings exhibited some issues related to learners’ motivation and language courses failure, which unfolded the expediency of a content-based approach, namely English as a medium of instruction (EMI). More clearly, the participants’ learning experiences revealed the usefulness of EMI in enhancing their proficiency levels, more than language courses can do.
published MA, English as an international journal , 2011
Many English language learners prefer native speakers’ models in the belief that only these model... more Many English language learners prefer native speakers’ models in the belief that only these models exhibit correct standards against which their success should be judged. However, English is mostly spoken by non-native speakers and communication in English increasingly occurs in non-native settings. This fact can change priorities and create new requirements for learners who are going to be involved in similar situations. Medical students at Jazan University are a typical case in point because they prefer native models despite the fact they are most likely to deal with non-native speakers at their future professional setting. In an attempt to consider the possibility of shifting the teaching/learning paradigm towards a more outer-circle oriented approach, this study investigates the attitudes and beliefs of Medical students at Jazan University towards the native models, and selected non-native models (Indian and Philippine) as examples of "World Englishes" students are likely to come across. The following discussion prompted students to consider a third variety 'Saudi English' to be included in the group. Certain questions were addressed, such as what model do these students need and prefer? This was further elaborated on through asking questions about others' cultures, the criteria of choosing a teacher and their expectations about the future professional context. The study follows a qualitative paradigm design using interviews as the main source of data. Questionnaires were also employed to reach as many participants as possible bearing in mind the limited number of informants interviewed. The results showed that although participants preferred native models, they also accepted other ‘Englishes’ and expressed willingness to know more about their characteristics particularly pronunciation. Students’ preference for the native models was explained in two points; their belief that English-speaking countries are the providers of 'perfect' English, and their familiarity with these models. Following a similar line of logic, students rejected certain varieties due to the concepts of familiarity and intelligibility. In fact, these concepts underlie students’ preference for the local variety spoken by Saudis or Arabs in general. The results also showed that despite students’ preference for native varieties in general, they were still in favour of teachers with knowledge and experience even if their intelligibility was not agreed upon. Generally speaking, the results show elements of contradiction and this may be justified by the co-constructive nature of the research.
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Papers by Elham Ghobain
The study follows a qualitative paradigm design using interviews as the main source of data. Questionnaires were also employed to reach as many participants as possible bearing in mind the limited number of informants interviewed. The results showed that although participants preferred native models, they also accepted other ‘Englishes’ and expressed willingness to know more about their characteristics particularly pronunciation. Students’ preference for the native models was explained in two points; their belief that English-speaking countries are the providers of 'perfect' English, and their familiarity with these models. Following a similar line of logic, students rejected certain varieties due to the concepts of familiarity and intelligibility. In fact, these concepts underlie students’ preference for the local variety spoken by Saudis or Arabs in general. The results also showed that despite students’ preference for native varieties in general, they were still in favour of teachers with knowledge and experience even if their intelligibility was not agreed upon. Generally speaking, the results show elements of contradiction and this may be justified by the co-constructive nature of the research.