...achieving Thai university students perceiving themselves as failures in English usage” by Dr. Kasma Suwanarak School of Language and Communication, National Institute of Development Administration and Asst. Prof. Dr. Sureepong Phothongsunan Faculty of Arts, Assumption University _________________________________ Abstract The study investigates the attributions of English language learning of 125 Thai undergraduate students in the last year of their study in International Business Management and Hotel Management at a university in Thailand. According to the programme requirement, these students have to study at least five selective English courses after passing the three compulsory foundation English courses. In response to the closed and open-ended questionnaire, 32 students perceived themselves as failures in English language learning and usage though obtaining highly satisfactory grades in English. 20 students were then selected for the interview in order to further explore reasons they rendered as failed learners and their views on how to become better language learners and on the benefits of learning English. Qualitative in nature, an interpretive approach is employed, taking into account the subjective meaning which the participants convey. Research findings indicate that there are various grounds why the students discern themselves as unsuccessful English learners. Implications are drawn regarding English learning and teaching as well as learners’ achievement, and for the...
Words: 6537 - Pages: 27
...self-reflection of its learning goals, to determine the degree to which these goals correspond to student and societal needs, and to evaluate if students’ activities, products, or performances coincide with the academic community’s expectations; • offers information to students about the knowledge, skills, and other attributes they can expect to possess after successfully completing coursework and academic programs. • establishes ways for academic units to understand the dimensions of student learning when seeking to improve student achievement and the educational process. Assessment is needed for accountability. Accountability, with its external focus, provides Step One: Identify Goals A goal is a statement expressing what ideals are to be achieved. Goal statements tend to be broadly philosophical, global, timeless and not readily amenable to measurement. They capture the knowledge, skills, and values that students should acquire in a program by a course. This first step in identifying goals requires faculty and others to reflect on questions such as the following: • what is the mission of this unit that guides and encapsulates the essence of learning - the knowledge, the skills, the values or attitudes to be achieved by students? • are these goals compatible with the mission of the university and its strategic plan? The characteristics of goal statements should be the same whether the focus is at the level of the undergraduate major...
Words: 1017 - Pages: 5
...My Goal For English 101 Abdul Azeem Ibn Mosely English 101, 074 Mr. Nwankwo September 11, 2013 _____Mosely_/2 Brainstorming Comprehend | Learn | Translate | Paraphrase | Outline | Prognosticate | Draft | Communicate | Note down | Abbreviate | Discover | Form a relationship | Advancement | Improve grammar | Punctuation | Educate | Career | Writing skills | Reading skills | Listening skills | Revise | Build vocabulary | Points of View | Visualization | Entertainment | Avoid Confusion | Explanation | | | | _________________________Mosely__/3 Graphic Organizer INTRO and THESIS. Step #1. Take a word or phrase from the topic and make one, two, or more general statements about it. Step #2. Use the CI to show your attitude or how you feel about the topic. Step #3. Bring in your thesis which includes MJSD #1, 2, and 3 in one sentence which shows the points of your discourse. (It is your essay road map, so follow the points in the order they appear on your thesis; remember that this paragraph should end with it.) INTRO and THESIS. Step #1. Take a word or phrase from the topic and make one, two, or more general statements about it. Step #2. Use the CI to show your attitude or how you feel about the topic. Step #3. Bring in your thesis which includes MJSD #1, 2, and 3 in one sentence which shows the points of your discourse. (It is your essay road map, so follow the points in the order they appear on your...
Words: 814 - Pages: 4
...audience will be in your critical analysis essay? Describe this audience, and explain how they would benefit from any insights produced from your analysis of your selected article. I think my selected audience will be students of foreign descent that are interested in becoming English majors or studying literature. I think they would be the group that would benefit the most from this article. My audience would be composed of students that do not use English as their mother tongue but still want to pursue the language and study it. They would be passionate about studying English either to make a better life in the U.S. for themselves or simply help other students like themselves learn it in the future. I believe that the contents of this article would help those students in motivating them in becoming authors or writers themselves. Although this article mostly speaks towards her mother and how she had a different style of English, it still talks about how she was told she could never write or become a scholar in language because of English not being her primary language. She overcomes this and becomes a very revered Asian-American writer....
Words: 490 - Pages: 2
...Prof. Nelson English 49 09 May 2012 As a non-native speaker who immigrated to the U.S. two years ago, English is a big obstacle for me in communication. I have had many difficult times speaking and understanding English when talking to others. Writing an essay was almost impossible for me to think of. Realizing how difficult it was to experience these linguistic difficulties, I then decided to go back to school to improve my English skills. Therefore, English became especially essential for me to succeed in my educational goals. I was determined to earn an Associate’s degree then transfer to a university for a Bachelor’s degree. I started going to ESL classes and studied English very hard to make progress in my speaking, reading and writing skills. After spending one year in ESL classes, I qualified for English 43. I learned lots of grammar and how to write paragraphs efficiently during these classes. I noticed that writing an essay was more challenging when I got into English 49. However, since then I’ve learned how to write a five-paragraph argumentative essay which was one of my weaknesses in academic writings. I have made a lot of progress in writing skills since I started studying English 49. I now think that I’m ready to go on to English 101 due to the fact that I have learned useful strategies to follow a writing process and develop coherent paragraphs effectively. A writing process is the most important step that I learned in this class. First of all, before...
Words: 1186 - Pages: 5
...My Passion for English A close friend of mine suggested University of Phoenix as a good option for me to reach my goal of obtaining an English bachelor’s degree. This was a decision that has impacted my life in only a positive way. Before attending University of Phoenix I was unhappy with my previous schools. Transferring to Phoenix was a new beginning. The first class I completed was like no other I took in the past. I found my course challenging yet interesting, because the curriculum and interactivity with my learning team kept me motivated to complete it. From then on, I competed five classes back to back which has been the most consistent I have been with my courses since high school. So, my choice in attending University of Phoenix is one I am very grateful for. English as a language has become an essential form of communication in today’s society. Whether it is for a job or school, there is a growth of people who use and learn English from various countries. English lessens the barriers we have between cultures by helping people understand and connect with each other. Ever since I could read on my own at the age of three, writing and the arts has always inspired me. I grew up reading many genres of books and going to the library almost every day after school. That made me interested to create my own poems and short stories in a daily journal. To this day, English has captivated, and motivated me to pursue a career where I could use my skills to help other individuals...
Words: 521 - Pages: 3
... March 10, 2011 Michael Corp Schaefer (2006) wrote that “until the last 20 to 30 years there was an effort to devalue the Spanish language and to discourage Hispanics from using it in schools” (p. 242). In the 60s it was not any better, the school boards in Florida and in New York City enforced a “No Spanish” rule and up until 68’ it was illegal to teach in any other language than English in California. The program English as a second language or ELS tend to emphasize bilingual but not bicultural education (Schaefer, 2006) which help with multi-language teaching but did not interfere with their culture. Some Hispanics were strongly against bilingualism, they believe that English-only education, even for very young children is the key to success (S. Freedman 2004; H. Mason 2003). The growth of the Hispanic population has moved Congress toward recognizing the multilingual culture of the United States. The number of the Hispanic population is increasing yearly which will influence the government’s decisions on this topic, it is a federal law that bilingual ballots be provided where necessary. There is many reasons that immigrates come to the United States but one of the main reasons is education, most come here...
Words: 926 - Pages: 4
...1. Introduction Universiti Selangor (UNISEL) is one of the tertiary institutions in Malaysia that offers various English courses to its students. Mainstream English Courses in UNISEL covers Grammar, Reading, Writing, and Speaking skills training during the course, with specific reference to TESL course . By the end of the course, students should be able to use the skills acquired in the respective components in communicating effectively. The lack of interest among students from various courses aside from TESL programme in learning English has become a major concern among English language lecturers because the students are supposed to excel in this subject since the medium of instruction in UNISEL is in English. If the UNISEL students were tested on their attitudes and motivation toward learning English Language, will the same results prevail? There have been some opinions that if a student does not feel the need of acquiring the second language to function either within or outside his/her community, most probably this student will have a negative attitude and will not be interested in learning the. The objectives of this study are two-folds, namely to identify the learners’ motivation, whether it is extrinsic or intrinsic. The term motivation is based on the Latin verb for “move”, which denotes direction, duration and intensity in achieving their aim or goals. Intrinsic motivation is characterized as more of a self-determined event where learners take responsibility for...
Words: 454 - Pages: 2
...beginning of the Europe power struggle England/French hated each other. Canada being introduced the English and French had to live together which caused major issues in Canada that could’ve been avoided. 1. Prejudice Canada was lacking in the war front and needed soldiers as soon as possible. Most French Canadians denied service due to the prejudice they’d suffer in an almost all English military workforce, workplace and school. Plus the abandonment of the government made it hard to live middle class. When the flag was being made the iconic red, white and leaf were put in place but blue the Quebecois colour was all but ignored and left without any debate. This made many French people seem like they aren’t important to the country they helped start up. When the Toronto maple leaf reach the World Series for the first time it was with great pride and dignity. The only problem is the National Anthem was sang only in English which destroyed a special moment for the French....
Words: 861 - Pages: 4
...and future hotbed of debate. It seems that teachers are instructed on how to instruct, while voters are granted the power to make or break educational practices. California is one of the most volatile states when considering how best to instruct English language learners (ELLs). There has been regular discussion about the best way to educate ELLs. In 1968, the door to funding was officially opened for bilingual education. According to Purcell (2002), the Bilingual Education Act authorized federal funding for programs that addressed the needs of students who had limited English skills. With more cases of disgruntled students and parents, it was clear that the education of English language learners was not going to come easily. While the concept of bilingual education is admirable, the fact is that the delivery of the education left much to be desired. With the level of dissatisfaction, the need for reform had arrived. According to Purcell (2002), businessman Ron Unz funded a large portion of Proposition 227. Under Proposition 227, Limited English Proficient (LEP) students would be given instruction in “sheltered English immersion” classrooms for a period not to exceed one year (Purcell, 2002). The instruction would be in English not the native language of the student. After the initial transition time, the student would be placed in a mainstream classroom. The California voters voiced their opinion and the proposition passed in 1998. Bilingual education was at an end. Often...
Words: 1066 - Pages: 5
...1. What are your goals for this course? My goals for English are to improve my writing skill and reading skill. Read lots of books, and im week an reading. This course is on writing and reading. I like to inprovethese skills the most like to write but my most spelling is not correct. And I didn’t read so many books. I’ll work hard for that. These are my goals for English. I'm goanna work hard and hope I'll have fun and be successful in this course. 2. How do you expect to use writing in your university career, and in your professional and personal life? As a university student, you can count on having to write papers. That's a fact of professional and personal life, regardless of your major. University Writing will introduce you to the practices and conventions of expository academic writing. Through reading, discussion and writing, you will discover how to develop and articulate your ideas. 3. How do you set goals for writing an academic paper? When i think about achieving success, I have to think about setting and achieving goals. I learned from others how to set goals. Because I set this goal, I had to development my skills and taking notes, study for exam, how to listen in class. 4. What are your biggest challenges when writing for others (e.g., instructors, supervisors, future employers, etc.) to evaluate? When you writing for others you have to know what you write about it. We should be able to understand the other people we are writing...
Words: 262 - Pages: 2
...starting off college I knew exactly what my major would be, Special Education. My mom was a teacher and my boyfriend’s mom at the time was a teacher as well. I just knew moving in that direction I would have a support system. So I started my journey at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio. Wittenberg had captured my heart and I was ready to learn. After completing my first year at Wittenberg I decided to move back home to be closer to my family but also was having complications with depression. That time was really hard for me because I felt as if I was giving up on my dreams. But I took a vow to myself that I would not slack when it came to going to school in Saint Louis, Missouri. I enrolled into general education courses at a community college. While being at home I had time to think about where I would like to go that was closer to home that would give me the same five star education that Wittenberg University offered their students. So I sat out on a hunt to find the most amazing school. When looking up schools I started in Missouri because I knew that I wanted to at least be close to home. Missouri State was one of the first schools that popped up when scrolling through Missouri Schools. That week I came to campus to visit a few friends who had come here right after high school. After that week with my friends I as sold that Missouri State was the place for me. As I started classes at MSU I was still pursuing a major in Special Education. I was still sold out that...
Words: 1013 - Pages: 5
...aptitude in a specific area and the fact that many job opening require a college degree are few of the top reasons. (http://www.degreedirectory.com). Moreover, college education many more opportunities in working life, especially for higher paid jobs and the chance to work with and be taught by some of the finest and most knowledgeable people. (http://www.importanceofcollege.com). McGuire (2010) stressed that getting a college education is the most important investment one can make in life because having a college degree often provides the greater promotion opportunity. The reasoning does not begin with the job aspect. Some students also put off the importance of college education because of the price tags that can with it. In this case, the major step that student should take is attending the college of his/her choice and the...
Words: 3853 - Pages: 16
... Faultline between English and French For many years, hostility has existed between the two largest ethnic denominations in Canada, the French and the English. To understand the cause of this continuing bitter saga, one must take a journey back in time. Throughout the Canadian history, the issue of separation of the nation between two big dominate groups have never been suppressed due the deprive of sovereignty. As the British successfully defeat the French and took control of the New France, there was still a continual threat of separation from the French, which naturally developed the fault line between English and French. There were many occasions where French and English Canadians clashed. Though the British adopted different acts and laws to grant the fairness between two cultures include founding factors such as religion, language and values, the crack between the two groups were still there. In recent crisis, the conflict of “sovereign’s independence” even sharpen after the newly elected Quebec Premier, Pauline Marios taking the office. On March 7,2013 the National Post published an article stating the Quebec Premier Pauline Maoris and Education Minister Marie Malabo has ordered an outside research body, the Cole national d’administration publique, to “define the problems” raised by intensive English instruction and examine its impact on students’ success in other subjects (“Quebec puts brakes on intensive English language program” 2013). This...
Words: 1612 - Pages: 7
...Common Core and Every Student Succeed Act - State Standards The Common Core Standards have indeed been of really help for the educational environment. The Common Core Standards which were released in 2010 for the English language, mathematics and arts have already been adopted by the dozens of states which shows the effectiveness of these standards within the educational environment. The efforts are also being made by the federal government in order to put on the considerable amount of resources for the use and adaptation of these standards. There are various benefits which are associated with the use of these standards in the curriculum. The national curriculum also thus offers the required benefits related to the shared expectations as there would then be consistency within the given curriculum and its respective implementation (Andrew Porter, 2011). Secondly, it also provides the benefits of respective focus because the standards based reform is able to bring on more of the focus to the entire U.S curriculum around the entire world. The “Every Student Succeeds Act” is also one of the most important examples which shows that what is the purpose of...
Words: 452 - Pages: 2
