The current study aims to probe the effectiveness and predictability of four aspects of lexical k... more The current study aims to probe the effectiveness and predictability of four aspects of lexical knowledge in writing proficiency of 312 Chinese university students of English as an ESL/EFL by pathways analysis of structure equation modeling. Furthermore, Bootstrapping and Monte Carlo statistical methods were used to analyze the mediation role of vocabulary fluency in the relationship between lexicons and writing proficiency. The results indicated that (a) the tested four aspects of lexicon knowledge (receptive/productive vocabulary breadth/depth) were all found to have a potential effect on writing; however, the effect of productive lexicons on writing proficiency is higher than that of receptive ones, and the effect of depth is better than that of breadth in both reception and production; (b) regression analysis demonstrated that overall lexical knowledge can account for 50 percent of the variance in writing; (c) vocabulary fluency plays a partial mediation role between vocabulary ...
With the internationalization of higher education, more Chinese students are pursuing their postg... more With the internationalization of higher education, more Chinese students are pursuing their postgraduate study in English-medium instruction (EMI) institutions abroad. Related studies have mostly investigated EMI policies and implementation and students’ attitudes; however, they have not examined how Chinese students cope in English-as-a-second-language environments, specifically in academic writing. This study examines Chinese students’ perceptions of English academic writing, difficulties, and coping strategies to complete academic writing requirements in Malaysian universities. Respondents, totalling 128, filled out a 51-item questionnaire. T-test was used for data analysis, and nine students were selected for qualitative interview. The results indicate significant differences in participants’ chances of practicing English writing before and after studying in Malaysia. Although they experienced challenges, such as insufficient prior English writing practice, lack of knowledge in ...
Background and Purpose: Explicit form-focused instruction has significantly contributed to second... more Background and Purpose: Explicit form-focused instruction has significantly contributed to second language learners’ explicit knowledge. However, the effect of explicit form-focus instruction (FFI) on second language learners’ implicit knowledge of grammatical forms has been argued by scholars. This study examined the effectiveness of explicit FFI on implicit knowledge of ESL learners. Methodology: This quasi-experimental research was conducted at a selected international school in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. The collected data were analysed through the application of ANCOVA and Scheffe’s test. Findings: The findings showed that when explicit FFI was implemented in the form of metalinguistic information and metalinguistic explanation of the target form, the implicit knowledge of students would not increase. This suggested that the role of explicit FFI as the most effective and reliable tool to enhance implicit knowledge of learners should be doubted. Contributions: The theoret...
The advancement of scientific research and raising the next-generation scientists in Africa depen... more The advancement of scientific research and raising the next-generation scientists in Africa depend largely on science access. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused discussions around open science (OS) to reemerge globally, especially in resource-poor settings like Africa, where the practice of OS is low. The authors highlighted the elements, benefits, and existing initiatives of OS in Africa. More importantly, the article critically appraised the challenges, opportunities, and future considerations of OS in Africa. Addressing challenges of funding and leadership at different levels of educational, research, and government parastatals may be pivotal in charting a new course for OS in Africa. This review serves as an advocacy strategy and an informative guide to policymaking and institutionalization of OS in Africa.
Over the past 20 years, there has been increasing interest in exploring what language teachers be... more Over the past 20 years, there has been increasing interest in exploring what language teachers believe
This chapter presents the findings of a study replicated from Borg’s (2012) to find out how auton... more This chapter presents the findings of a study replicated from Borg’s (2012) to find out how autonomy in learning is conceptualized, perceived and practised by the Malaysian ESL secondary school teachers. Data for the study were collected through a survey where a questionnaire from Borg and Al-Busaidi (2012) was adopted. Interviews with the ESL secondary school teachers from the district of Selangor, Malaysia were also conducted. The results of the study are somewhat similar to the Borg and Al-Busaidi’s (2012) where the findings revealed that the ESL teachers were aware of the learner autonomy concepts, although quite a number was not sure of certain attributes of autonomy among Malaysian ESL learners. The majority of the ESL teachers displayed their awareness of learner autonomy concept. Also, positive responses were gathered from the Malaysian ESL teachers in relation to the desirability over the feasibility of promoting and developing learners’ abilities for learner autonomy. The ...
The current study aims to probe the effectiveness and predictability of four aspects of lexical k... more The current study aims to probe the effectiveness and predictability of four aspects of lexical knowledge in writing proficiency of 312 Chinese university students of English as an ESL/EFL by pathways analysis of structure equation modeling. Furthermore, Bootstrapping and Monte Carlo statistical methods were used to analyze the mediation role of vocabulary fluency in the relationship between lexicons and writing proficiency. The results indicated that (a) the tested four aspects of lexicon knowledge (receptive/productive vocabulary breadth/depth) were all found to have a potential effect on writing; however, the effect of productive lexicons on writing proficiency is higher than that of receptive ones, and the effect of depth is better than that of breadth in both reception and production; (b) regression analysis demonstrated that overall lexical knowledge can account for 50 percent of the variance in writing; (c) vocabulary fluency plays a partial mediation role between vocabulary ...
With the internationalization of higher education, more Chinese students are pursuing their postg... more With the internationalization of higher education, more Chinese students are pursuing their postgraduate study in English-medium instruction (EMI) institutions abroad. Related studies have mostly investigated EMI policies and implementation and students’ attitudes; however, they have not examined how Chinese students cope in English-as-a-second-language environments, specifically in academic writing. This study examines Chinese students’ perceptions of English academic writing, difficulties, and coping strategies to complete academic writing requirements in Malaysian universities. Respondents, totalling 128, filled out a 51-item questionnaire. T-test was used for data analysis, and nine students were selected for qualitative interview. The results indicate significant differences in participants’ chances of practicing English writing before and after studying in Malaysia. Although they experienced challenges, such as insufficient prior English writing practice, lack of knowledge in ...
Background and Purpose: Explicit form-focused instruction has significantly contributed to second... more Background and Purpose: Explicit form-focused instruction has significantly contributed to second language learners’ explicit knowledge. However, the effect of explicit form-focus instruction (FFI) on second language learners’ implicit knowledge of grammatical forms has been argued by scholars. This study examined the effectiveness of explicit FFI on implicit knowledge of ESL learners. Methodology: This quasi-experimental research was conducted at a selected international school in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. The collected data were analysed through the application of ANCOVA and Scheffe’s test. Findings: The findings showed that when explicit FFI was implemented in the form of metalinguistic information and metalinguistic explanation of the target form, the implicit knowledge of students would not increase. This suggested that the role of explicit FFI as the most effective and reliable tool to enhance implicit knowledge of learners should be doubted. Contributions: The theoret...
The advancement of scientific research and raising the next-generation scientists in Africa depen... more The advancement of scientific research and raising the next-generation scientists in Africa depend largely on science access. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused discussions around open science (OS) to reemerge globally, especially in resource-poor settings like Africa, where the practice of OS is low. The authors highlighted the elements, benefits, and existing initiatives of OS in Africa. More importantly, the article critically appraised the challenges, opportunities, and future considerations of OS in Africa. Addressing challenges of funding and leadership at different levels of educational, research, and government parastatals may be pivotal in charting a new course for OS in Africa. This review serves as an advocacy strategy and an informative guide to policymaking and institutionalization of OS in Africa.
Over the past 20 years, there has been increasing interest in exploring what language teachers be... more Over the past 20 years, there has been increasing interest in exploring what language teachers believe
This chapter presents the findings of a study replicated from Borg’s (2012) to find out how auton... more This chapter presents the findings of a study replicated from Borg’s (2012) to find out how autonomy in learning is conceptualized, perceived and practised by the Malaysian ESL secondary school teachers. Data for the study were collected through a survey where a questionnaire from Borg and Al-Busaidi (2012) was adopted. Interviews with the ESL secondary school teachers from the district of Selangor, Malaysia were also conducted. The results of the study are somewhat similar to the Borg and Al-Busaidi’s (2012) where the findings revealed that the ESL teachers were aware of the learner autonomy concepts, although quite a number was not sure of certain attributes of autonomy among Malaysian ESL learners. The majority of the ESL teachers displayed their awareness of learner autonomy concept. Also, positive responses were gathered from the Malaysian ESL teachers in relation to the desirability over the feasibility of promoting and developing learners’ abilities for learner autonomy. The ...
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