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Exploring English Language Proficiency, English Language Problems, and English Needs Among First Year Undergraduate Students

English is used widely worldwide and is recognized as the most important language for communication. This research focused on the needs, problems, and proficiency levels in the English language for first-year students majoring in English for Business Management. A questionnaire, an Intensive English test, and a semi-structured interview were used to conduct this research with 40 undergraduate students. Participants achieved low scores in every area of the Intensive English test and expressed their problems and needs in studying the English language. The participants had the desire to learn speaking, reading, writing, and listening language skills, and native English-speaking teachers as well as Thai teachers took turns teaching as requested. The challenges faced when learning English included students’ inability to listen and speak the language. Moreover, students need to improve their English pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary. The research shows the importance of English at higher education levels and understanding the needs of students with different levels of English proficiency in order to prepare them to be ready to use the language for education and work in the future. Students who want to study English for Business Management must have a good foundation in English to further expand their knowledge in the curriculum, which has an emphasis on using English skills in various areas, including listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Furthermore, one of the project objectives is to prepare students for the first semester of their university life.

https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.21.12.15

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• Jacob Kola Aina, Alexander Gbenga Ogundele, Shola Sunday Olanipekun. Students’ Proficiency in English Language Relationship with Academic Performance in Science and Technical Education. American Journal of Educational Research . Vol. 1, No. 9, 2013, pp 355-358. https://pubs.sciepub.com/education/1/9/2 ">Normal Style
• Aina, Jacob Kola, Alexander Gbenga Ogundele, and Shola Sunday Olanipekun. 'Students’ Proficiency in English Language Relationship with Academic Performance in Science and Technical Education.' American Journal of Educational Research 1.9 (2013): 355-358. ">MLA Style
• Aina, J. K. , Ogundele, A. G. , & Olanipekun, S. S. (2013). Students’ Proficiency in English Language Relationship with Academic Performance in Science and Technical Education. American Journal of Educational Research , 1 (9), 355-358. ">APA Style
• Aina, Jacob Kola, Alexander Gbenga Ogundele, and Shola Sunday Olanipekun. 'Students’ Proficiency in English Language Relationship with Academic Performance in Science and Technical Education.' American Journal of Educational Research 1, no. 9 (2013): 355-358. ">Chicago Style

Students’ Proficiency in English Language Relationship with Academic Performance in Science and Technical Education

This is a descriptive research of a correlation type where 120 students were sampled from a college of education to find out the relationship between proficiency in English language and academic performance among students of science and technical education. Findings revealed that there is correlation between proficiency in English language and academic performance of students in science and technical education; students in technical education performed better than their counterpart in science education; students who passed English language performed better than those who failed both in science and technical education. Some recommendations were suggested at the end of the study.

1. Introduction

The importance of English language for enhancing educational attainment through improved communication ability can never be over emphasized. Students who have so much difficulties with their communication skill in English language may not function effectively, not only in English language but in their academic and this is no reason than the fact that English language in Nigeria today is the language of text-books and the language of instruction in schools. When Students’ Proficiency in English Language is high, it will definitely affect and improve the academic performance of such students. Nevertheless, where the proficiency in English is lacking in any academic setting, it will definitely lower the academic performance of such students. 2 vehemently, revealed that lack of proficiency in English language is one of the factors contributing to poor performance in Mathematics. In his research, he observed that the performance of students in Mathematics’ examination at Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE) is poor but further stated that the performance in English is more than that of Mathematics and this he linked to poor reading ability .He then suggests that there is need to improve the teaching of English language to improve Mathematics’ education.

17 in his work proved that competency in English significantly determines performances in intelligence or academic tests. The revelation above seem to suggest that mastery of English language is very importance even in students’ academic performances in intelligence tests, especially when it comes to the issues of Science and Technical education that involves a lot of laboratory and workshop practical in the acquisition of skills. Technical Education is an aspect of education, which leads to the acquisition of practical, basic scientific knowledge which involves special manipulative skills, creative minds, and attitudes relating to occupations in various sectors of the economic and social life 12 , Retrieved from www.cefwa.net/compilation_for_proceedings.pdf - Nigeria. pp219." class="coltj"> 19 , st session I 2001." class="coltj"> 26 . The mind set is that the individual is trained to be self reliant, and well productive.

The 12 views technical education to be further understood as (a) an integral part of general education, (b) a means of preparing for occupational fields and for effective participation in the world of work; (c) an aspect of lifelong learning and a preparation for responsible citizenship; (d) an instrument for promoting environmentally sound sustainable development; (e) a method of alleviating poverty. (pg29). However, this cannot be achieved without properly understanding the language of communication and instruction in school. Students trained in both science and technical education programme require English language to properly understand the contents of the programme, which in turn will improve the academic understanding of the student.

Science education is the study of biology, chemistry or physics in conjunction with the principle and method of education to be able to share scientific processes and content with those who are not traditionally in scientific community 4 . Science education should be concern with teaching of science concepts and also address learners’ misconceptions about these science concepts.

To this effect, good language competence in English language may be a positive predictive validity variable on the performance of students on intelligence test. This 7 and 25 asserted when it was discovered that the measurements of intelligence tend to reflect the learner’s mastery of language and in this sense English language. It was on this note that 1 while lamenting on the poor performance of students in West African Examination Council (WAEC) said that the matter is serious because of the influence English has on all the other subjects of the curriculum which invariably pointed at the notion that students’ success in English language could influence the overall performance of students in other disciplines.

10 while investigating reading problem among the master students in the Arab world keenly revealed that most of them suffered from linguistic handicap which is the dominant reason for their reading comprehension problem which invariably leads to academic failure. Ultimately, he unfolded that the difficulties with masters’ students in reading comprehension are compounded by their linguistic shortcomings. Thus, language inefficiency invariably leads to poor academic performance 8 , ). Prototype of national assessment for Nigeria. UNESCO/UNICEF monitoring of learning achievement programme." class="coltj"> 11 . No wonder why today according to 16 much emphasis is placed on passing of English language at credit or distinction level in addition to other subjects to enable any candidates gain admission into any Nigeria Higher Institution of learning.

18 averred that low proficiency in English language has been considered a barrier to learning and academic success at the post-secondary level and this is because English learners often lack the language proficiency necessary to understand the test content and academic work. 13 also revealed that high English language proficiency could also aid academic reading which is in a view to aptly indicate the influence of English language on students’ academic performance in other disciplines.

English language is very important to any course in Nigeria educational system especially Science and Technical Education courses. 14 confirmed this when he said English language is a powerful factor in the study of science in Nigerian Universities and Polytechnics.

One could thus inferred from the fore-going that anyone who can read English can keep in touch with the whole world without leaving his own house 5 which no doubt have positive impact on academic performance of students in all fields. No wonder why 6 firmly stated that if under sentimental urge, we give up English; we will cut ourselves off from knowledge.

This study employed descriptive method of correlation type where students’ results were collected from general studies department, school of science and technical education for analysis. This is a correlation type because correlation is very important in educational studies as argued by 3 . Correlation is used to find relationship between variables 9 aside this 22 believed correlation can be used to determine the degree of relationships and variability between students’ performance in examination.

The research instrument for this study was a pro forma for collecting students’ results in science and technical courses from year one to year three in College of Education.

For easy analysis the data was divided into five groups which are:

1. General group for both science and technical education

2. Science education group who failed English language

3. Science education group who passed English language

4. Technical education group who failed English language

5. Technical education group who passed English language

With the exception of group 1 that has 60 students; all other groups contains 15 students each in the group.

Permission was sought from the heads of various concerned departments in the College to collect student scores in science and technical courses from the College examination units.

Statistical analysis found suitable for this study are Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient and t-test because Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient is used to determine the degree of relationship between two sets of variables 21 ; this could also be supported by 24 that, correlation coefficient method is used to compute the strength of association between variables.

In view of the importance of English language to learning in Nigeria as the only general medium of expression in all level of educational system; this study is aimed at finding out its correlation to students’ performance in Science and Technical Education courses.

Specifically, the following research questions will guide the study:

1. Does students’ performance in English language have any relationship with Science Education courses?

2. Does students’ performance in English language have any relationship with Technical Education courses?

3. Is there any difference between students’ performance in English language base on Science and Technical Education courses?

2. Research Hypotheses

Two null hypotheses that will be tested are:

H01: There is no significant difference in performance of students who failed English language and those who passed in science subject

H02: There is no significant difference in performance of students who failed English language and those who passed in technical subject

3. Findings

Table 1. correlation between english language and science.

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Table 2. Correlation between English language and Technical

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Table 3. Means score of English Language in Technical and Science education

Table 4. mean scores of students’ performance in English in science education

Table 5. t-test analysis of performance in science education based on performance in English

Table 6. mean scores of students’ performance in English technical education

Table 7. t-test analysis of performance in technical subject based on performance in English

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Findings from Table 1 above shows that there is a strong correlation between English Language proficiency and students’ academic performance in science course with correlation coefficient of 0.553; thus answered research question 1.This means good English language proficiency determines good academic performance of students in science courses.

Table 2 above shows that there is strong relationship between English Language proficiency and students’ academic performance in technical course as correlation coefficient between them is 0.643; research question 2 is hereby answered. The implication of this is that proficiency in English Language determines students’ performance in technical courses. Any student who is not good in English language may not as well be good in Technical Education courses.

Table 3 above reveals that students in technical education performed better in English language than their counterpart in science education as mean score of technical students is higher than that of science students. In the light of this, research question 3 is answered.

From Table 5 calculated value of t is greater than table value (t cal > t tab ) therefore hypothesis 1 is rejected. This implies that there is difference in the performance of students who failed English language and those who passed in science education.

Table 4 reveals that those who passed English language performed better in science than those who failed English language since mean scores of those who passed is higher those who failed.

Table 7 shows that calculated value of t is higher than the table value (t cal > t tab ) thus; hypothesis 2 is hereby rejected; meaning that difference exists between student that failed English language and those that passed in technical education.

Table 6 shows that mean scores of students who passed English language is higher than those who failed indicating that, those who passed English language performed better than those who failed.

4. Discussion

It could thus be inferred from the above findings that proficiency in English language is required for all students in Science and Technical education. The findings in this research therefore agreed with the findings of 17 who proved in his work that competency in English significantly determines performances in intelligence or academic tests. 2 , succinctly, revealed when he opined that lack of proficiency in English language is one of the factors contributing to poor performance in Mathematics.

The findings further confirms the positions of 23 and 15 who separately asserted that a lack of adequate mastery of English language (language of instruction) is a major problems relating to inadequate understanding of the teacher’s speech (listening problem) that results from poor vocabulary and syntactic knowledge (note-taking problem), deficient language background and compromise in qualifying entry examination into current stratum of the schools’ ladder among students as source of understanding constraint.

15 traces this poor language of instruction challenge to attitudinal problem among students and between students and lecturers of other disciplines. He found that many students regard proficient knowledge of English language as only subordinate to the mastery of their main course of study. So these students erroneously assume English is a problem of the English major students. He further stresses on the instances of lecturers of other courses discouraging and underrating the usefulness of the use of English lecturers’ attendance and competence in English as not very important for the students’ success.

Vehemently, English language proficiency could go a long way in affecting students’ academic performance in both science and technical education courses for English language is the gateway to educational advancement. The more reason 20 referred to English language as the language of achievers and that the language counts as far as rising up and being a member of the elite class is concerned. Students who understand this do strives to do well in English language as this invariably affect their performance in other subjects.

5. Conclusion

In view of the findings of this study it is enough to conclude that proficiency in English language is strongly related to students’ academic performance in science and technical education. It is therefore very important to always ensure that students who are admitted into these courses have good English language proficiency.

It was also observed that students in technical education performed better than students in science education; however, it might be difficult to generalize this finding unless further study is carried out on it. Students in technical education are better than those in science education because their mean scores are higher than those of science education in the same English language examinations.

6. Recommendations

The following recommendations are suggested based on the findings of this study:

1. Admission into any course in science and technical education should be based on credit pass in English language.

2. English language should be central to what students will learn in general studies upon their admission into Science or Technical Education.

3. All students in secondary school should be counseled to take English language very seriously irrespective of their courses.

4. Colleges should encourage students to improve on their communication skills in any academic setting.

5. Most of the government own tertiary institutions are without language laboratory and qualified teachers to handled English language. Government and others concerned stakeholders should ensure that more and qualified teachers are employed and language laboratory should be built where necessary.

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Factors Affecting the English Proficiency of the Elementary Pupils at Central Philippine University

This study correlated the probable factors affecting English proficiency and the English proficiency of Grades V and VI pupils of Central Philippine University (CPU). It further examined the similarities and differences of the respondents according to the factors listed, and their association to the English proficiency of the pupils. Chi-square, Cramer’s V, and Gamma analyses were used to analyze data collected from 174 Grades V and VI pupils from the CPU Elementary Department who were subjected to a self-administered one shot-survey. The findings showed that female pupils are more proficient than male pupils, as shown in the results of the English proficiency test administered by the researchers. Reading frequency also bears on the English proficiency of the pupils. Other factors such as age, sex, income of parents, educational attainment of parents, study hours, perception, extent of television viewing, text messaging, extent of use of online social networks and computer games, and reading frequency.

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Polytechnic University of the Philippines Open University

Francisco B Bautista

To cite this study: Nicolas-Victorino, Anastacia (2011). "Factors affecting the national achievement test of selected second year high school students in Santa Maria, Bulacan." Unpublished Master's thesis, Open University of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Manila, Philippines. "This study determined the relationship of family and environment to the academic performance of second year students of high school in Santa Maria, Bulacan. The researcher wanted to know the factors that may affect the National Achievement Test performance of the respondents in terms of: technology, extra-curricular activities, media study habits, and motivational practices of the family. It is an attempt to find out if there are a significant relationship between the factors and the NAT performance of the respondents. The undertaking utilized triangulation approach, employing both quantitative and qualitative probes. Trough survey, the study dealt with the relationship of family and environment to the academic performance of second year students of Santa Maria public high schools in the National Achievement Test. It involves selected students of Catmon National High School, Parada High School, Santa Maria Agro-Industrial High School, and Pulong Buhangin High School. Technology, media, and study habits are said to have a direct causal relationship to the performance of the students in the National Achievement Test. It means that the more a value of the independent variable increase, the more it is likely to cause favorable results. On the other hand, there is an inverse causal relationship between the existing motivational practices of the students’ family. Based on the summary of findings, there has been a pattern on the preferences and the attitudes of the students of the four high schools in Santa Maria, Bulacan. Most of the students of these four public high schools are a picture of a typical medium-sized family from the lower to middle-lower income levels of the economic hierarchy. The participants schools did not perform well in the 2010-2011 National Achievement Test (NAT) for second year. Most of them are placed in the bottom half of the rankings. ""

Maricel Mendoza Fider

finding answers to my querry about how the learners of today in the secondary best describe

Ruel Bayucan

Purpose: The study provides a clearer understanding of the influences of Facebook to the development of the English language proficiency of students. The study advances a framework or model that serves as guide in the use of Facebook in the development and/or enhancement of their language skills/competencies. Methods: This study made use of descriptive research design since it acquired information through description that is useful for identifying variables and hypothetical constructs which can be further investigated through other means like exploratory studies. T-test was utilized to determine the significant difference on the influence of the use of Facebook in the English language proficiency of students. Two-way Anova was used to determine the interaction effect of the different variables on the English language proficiency using Facebook. Results: The users of Facebook are still learning in using appropriate vocabulary while the non-users are developing in the said area. Both the users of Facebook and non-users of Facebook are competent in spelling proficiency. However, in terms of grammar proficiency, the non-users of Facebook are considered competent while the users of Facebook are developing in the said area. In terms of correct sentence structure the non-users of Facebook got a higher mean score. However, both the users and non-users of Facebook are developing in the said area. On the other hand, both users of Facebook and non-users of Facebook are developing in using the correct and appropriate punctuation marks. The study reveals that in giving or expressing ideas, the non-users of Facebook are competent while the users of Facebook are developing. In the over-all language proficiency of students, both users of Facebook and non-users of Facebook are said to be developing. Conclusion: This study revealed that Facebook is not effective in attaining proficiency in the English language despite the fact that students are highly motivated to use Facebook and their teachers are highly competent in using Facebook as educational material. Students are inquisitive in utilizing Facebook and enthusiast to explore the different features of Facebook especially on gaming and chatting however, they are being sidetracked and lose their focus on the given academic activities

Joenel Demegillo

This descriptive research study was conducted to determine the relationship of reading comprehension and mathematics performance of the 302 pupils at Anecito Panolino Elementary School of Division of Passi City for the school year 2014-2015. The Phil-IRI test, the profile questionnaire and first periodical grade of pupils in Mathematics were used as the data gathering tool. The statistical tools used were frequencies, means, standard deviation, t-test, one-way Analysis of Variance, and Pearson Product Moment Coefficient of Correlation. Acceptance or rejection of the null hypotheses was based on the.05 alpha level. The pupils of Anecito Panolino Elementary School were males and were in ages six to ten years old. They belong to a family that is earning below the poverty line and were enrolled in Grade V. They have a weak reading comprehension as to speed level, reading level, and comprehension level despite of gender, age, grade level and family income. In gender and family income there is almost a significant difference however in age and grade level it showed almost no significance on reading comprehension. Regardless of groupings, mathematics performance of the pupils was an “unsatisfactory” rating. Significant difference in mathematics performance of the pupils was found on gender however, there is none with respect to age, family income and grade level. The positive correlation between the pupils speed level, reading level, comprehension level and mathematics performance was determined in the study.

Rachel PAYAPAYA

This paper explored the scope of the usage of Agusan Manobo language in social networking sites and ascertained the factors influencing the use of this minority language. The study employed both quantitative and qualitative research methods in data collection and analysis. The participants were identified through purposive sampling of 114 Manobo students enrolled in a multicultural teacher-education university in Northeastern Mindanao. A contextualized questionnaire from Jongbloed-Faber (2015) gathered all data analyzed through percentage, mean and Pearson r. Focused Group Discussions (FGD) decided and described at qualitative data. Results showed that first year Manobo students use Agusan Manobo now and then in updating their status and sending private messages in Facebook. The factors influencing the use of Agusan Manobo in social networking sites are language use with friends and attitude towards the language. The findings imply germane policies to support present ini...

Patricia Veatriz Gentallan , Airan Patricia Bueno

This study was funded by the National Council for Children's Television (NCCT), in partnership with the Far Eastern University (FEU) Manila. NCCT and FEU claim all rights to the contents of this publication, any of which may not be copied, reproduced, or adapted in any format unless otherwise consented by the authors and the institutions.

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Home > Humanities > Linguistics > Theses and Dissertations

Linguistics Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2022 2022.

Temporal Fluency in L2 Self-Assessments: A Cross-Linguistic Study of Spanish, Portuguese, and French , Mandy Case

Biblical Hebrew as a Negative Concord Language , J. Bradley Dukes

Revitalizing the Russian of a Heritage Speaker , Aaron Jordan

Analyzing Patterns of Complexity in Pre-University L2 English Writing , Zachary M. Lambert

Prosodic Modeling for Hymn Translation , Michael Abraham Peck

Interpretive Language and Museum Artwork: How Patrons Respond to Depictions of Native American and White Settler Encounters--A Thematic Analysis , Holli D. Rogerson

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Trademarks and Genericide: A Corpus and Experimental Approach to Understanding the Semantic Status of Trademarks , Richard B. Bevan

First and Second Language Use of Case, Aspect, and Tense in Finnish and English , Torin Kelley

Lexical Aspect in-sha Verb Chains in Pastaza Kichwa , Azya Dawn Ladd

Text-to-Speech Systems: Learner Perceptions of its Use as a Tool in the Language Classroom , Joseph Chi Man Mak

The Effects of Dynamic Written Corrective Feedback on the Accuracy and Complexity of Writing Produced by L2 Graduate Students , Lisa Rohm

Mental Contrasting with Implementation Intentions as Applied to Motivation in L2 Vocabulary Acquisition , Lindsay Michelle Stephenson

Linguistics of Russian Media During the 2016 US Election: A Corpus-Based Study , Devon K. Terry

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Portuguese and Chinese ESL Reading Behaviors Compared: An Eye-Tracking Study , Logan Kyle Blackwell

Mental Contrasting with Implementation Intentions to Lower Test Anxiety , Asena Cakmakci

The Categorization of Ideophone-Gesture Composites in Quichua Narratives , Maria Graciela Cano

Ranking Aspect-Based Features in Restaurant Reviews , Jacob Ling Hang Chan

Praise in Written Feedback: How L2 Writers Perceive and Value Praise , Karla Coca

Evidence for a Typology of Christ in the Book of Esther , L. Clayton Fausett

Gender Vs. Sex: Defining Meaning in a Modern World through use of Corpora and Semantic Surveys , Mary Elizabeth Garceau

The attributive suffix in Pastaza Kichwa , Barrett Wilson Hamp

An Examination of Motivation Types and Their Influence on English Proficiency for Current High School Students in South Korean , Euiyong Jung

Experienced ESL Teachers' Attitudes Towards Using Phonetic Symbols in Teaching English Pronunciation to Adult ESL Students , Oxana Kodirova

Evidentiality, Epistemic Modality and Mirativity: The Case of Cantonese Utterance Particles Ge3, Laak3, and Lo1 , Ka Fai Law

Application of a Self-Regulation Framework in an ESL Classroom: Effects on IEP International Students , Claudia Mencarelli

Parsing an American Sign Language Corpus with Combinatory Categorial Grammar , Michael Albert Nix

An Exploration of Mental Contrasting and Social Networks of English Language Learners , Adam T. Pinkston

A Corpus-Based Study of the Gender Assignment of Nominal Anglicisms in Brazilian Portuguese , Taryn Marie Skahill

Developing Listening Comprehension in ESL Students at the Intermediate Level by Reading Transcripts While Listening: A Cognitive Load Perspective , Sydney Sohler

The Effect of Language Learning Experience on Motivation and Anxiety of Foreign Language Learning Students , Josie Eileen Thacker

Identifying Language Needs in Community-Based Adult ELLs: Findings from an Ethnography of Four Salvadoran Immigrants in the Western United States , Kathryn Anne Watkins

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Using Eye Tracking to Examine Working Memory and Verbal Feature Processing in Spanish , Erik William Arnold

Self-Regulation in Transition: A Case Study of Three English Language Learners at an IEP , Allison Wallace Baker

"General Conference talk": Style Variation and the Styling of Identity in Latter-day Saint General Conference Oratory , Stephen Thomas Betts

Implementing Mental Contrasting to Improve English Language Learner Social Networks , Hannah Trimble Brown

Comparing Academic Vocabulary List (AVL) Frequency Bands to Leveled Biology and History Texts , Lynne Crandall

A Comparison of Mobile and Computer Receptive Language ESL Tests , Aislin Pickett Davis

Yea, Yea, Nay, Nay: Uses of the Archaic, Biblical Yea in the Book of Mormon , Michael Edward De Martini

L1 and L2 Reading Behaviors by Proficiency Level: An English-Portuguese Eye-Tracking Study , Larissa Grahl

Immediate Repeated Reading has Positive Effects on Reading Fluency for English Language Learners: An Eye-tracking Study , Jennifer Hemmert Hansen

Perceptions of Malaysian English Teachers Regarding the Importation of Expatriate Native and Nonnative English-speaking Teachers , Syringa Joanah Judd

Sociocultural Identification with the United States and English Pronunciation Comprehensibility and Accent Among International ESL Students , Christinah Paige Mulder

The Effects of Repeated Reading on the Fluency of Intermediate-Level English-as-a-Second-Language Learners: An Eye-Tracking Study , Krista Carlene Rich

Verb Usage in Egyptian Movies, Serials, and Blogs: A Case for Register Variation , Michael G. White

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

Factors Influencing ESL Students' Selection of Intensive English Programs in the Western United States , Katie Briana Blanco

Pun Strategies Across Joke Schemata: A Corpus-Based Study , Robert Nishan Crapo

ESL Students' Reading Behaviors on Multiple-Choice Items at Differing Proficiency Levels: An Eye-Tracking Study , Juan M. Escalante Talavera

Backward Transfer of Apology Strategies from Japanese to English: Do English L1 Speakers Use Japanese-Style Apologies When Speaking English? , Candice April Flowers

Cultural Differences in Russian and English Magazine Advertising: A Pragmatic Approach , Emily Kay Furner

An Analysis of Rehearsed Speech Characteristics on the Oral Proficiency Interview—Computer (OPIc) , Gwyneth Elaine Gates

Predicting Speaking, Listening, and Reading Proficiency Gains During Study Abroad Using Social Network Metrics , Timothy James Hall

Navigating a New Culture: Analyzing Variables that Influence Intensive English Program Students' Cultural Adjustment Process , Sherie Lyn Kwok

Second Language Semantic Retrieval in the Bilingual Mind: The Case of Korean-English Expert Bilinguals , Janice Si-Man Lam

Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Korean Heritage-Speaking Interpreter , Yoonjoo Lee

Reading Idioms: A Comparative Eye-Tracking Study of Native English Speakers and Native Korean Speakers , Sarah Lynne Miner

Applying the Developmental Path of English Negation to the Automated Scoring of Learner Essays , Allen Travis Moore

Performance Self-Appraisal Calibration of ESL Students on a Proficiency Reading Test , Jodi Mikolajcik Petersen

Switch-Reference in Pastaza Kichwa , Alexander Harrison Rice

The Effects of Metacognitive Listening Strategy Instruction on ESL Learners' Listening Motivation , Corbin Kalanikiakahi Rivera

The Effects of Teacher Background on How Teachers Assess Native-Like and Nonnative-Like Grammar Errors: An Eye-Tracking Study , Wesley Makoto Schramm

Rubric Rating with MFRM vs. Randomly Distributed Comparative Judgment: A Comparison of Two Approaches to Second-Language Writing Assessment , Maureen Estelle Sims

Investigating the Perception of Identity Shift in Trilingual Speakers: A Case Study , Elena Vasilachi

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

Preparing Non-Native English Speakers for the Mathematical Vocabulary in the GRE and GMAT , Irina Mikhailovna Baskova

Eye Behavior While Reading Words of Sanskrit and Urdu Origin in Hindi , Tahira Carroll

An Acoustical Analysis of the American English /l, r/ Contrast as Produced by Adult Japanese Learners of English Incorporating Word Position and Task Type , Braden Paul Chase

The Rhetoric Revision Log: A Second Study on a Feedback Tool for ESL Student Writing , Natalie Marie Cole

Quizlet Flashcards for the First 500 Words of the Academic Vocabulary List , Emily R. Crandell

The Impact of Changing TOEFL Cut-Scores on University Admissions , Laura Michelle Decker

A Latent Class Analysis of American English Dialects , Stephanie Nicole Hedges

Comparing the AWL and AVL in Textbooks from an Intensive English Program , Michelle Morgan Hernandez

Faculty and EAL Student Perceptions of Writing Purposes and Challenges in the Business Major , Amy Mae Johnson

Multilingual Trends in Five London Boroughs: A Linguistic Landscape Approach , Shayla Ann Johnson

Nature or Nurture in English Academic Writing: Korean and American Rhetorical Patterns , Sunok Kim

Differences in the Motivations of Chinese Learners of English in Different (Foreign or Second Language) Contexts , Rui Li

Managing Dynamic Written Corrective Feedback: Perceptions of Experienced Teachers , Rachel A. Messenger

Spanish Heritage Bilingual Perception of English-Specific Vowel Contrasts , John B. Nielsen

Taking the "Foreign" Out of the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale , Jared Benjamin Sell

Creole Genesis and Universality: Case, Word Order, and Agreement , Gerald Taylor Snow

Idioms or Open Choice? A Corpus Based Analysis , Kaitlyn Alayne VanWagoner

Applying Corpus-Assisted Critical Discourse Analysis to an Unrestricted Corpus: A Case Study in Indonesian and Malay Newspapers , Sara LuAnne White

Investigating the effects of Rater's Second Language Learning Background and Familiarity with Test-Taker's First Language on Speaking Test Scores , Ksenia Zhao

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

The Influence of Online English Language Instruction on ESL Learners' Fluency Development , Rebecca Aaron

The Effect of Prompt Accent on Elicited Imitation Assessments in English as a Second Language , Jacob Garlin Barrows

A Framework for Evaluating Recommender Systems , Michael Gabriel Bean

Program and Classroom Factors Affecting Attendance Patterns For Hispanic Participants In Adult ESL Education , Steven J. Carter

A Longitudinal Analysis of Adult ESL Speakers' Oral Fluency Gains , Kostiantyn Fesenko

Rethinking Vocabulary Size Tests: Frequency Versus Item Difficulty , Brett James Hashimoto

The Onomatopoeic Ideophone-Gesture Relationship in Pastaza Quichua , Sarah Ann Hatton

A Hybrid Approach to Cross-Linguistic Tokenization: Morphology with Statistics , Logan R. Kearsley

Getting All the Ducks in a Row: Towards a Method for the Consolidation of English Idioms , Ethan Michael Lynn

Expecting Excellence: Student and Teacher Attitudes Towards Choosing to Speak English in an IEP , Alhyaba Encinas Moore

Lexical Trends in Young Adult Literature: A Corpus-Based Approach , Kyra McKinzie Nelson

A Corpus-Based Comparison of the Academic Word List and the Academic Vocabulary List , Jacob Andrew Newman

A Self-Regulated Learning Inventory Based on a Six-Dimensional Model of SRL , Christopher Nuttall

The Effectiveness of Using Written Feedback to Improve Adult ESL Learners' Spontaneous Pronunciation of English Suprasegmentals , Chirstin Stephens

Pragmatic Quotation Use in Online Yelp Reviews and its Connection to Author Sentiment , Mary Elisabeth Wright

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

Conditional Sentences in Egyptian Colloquial and Modern Standard Arabic: A Corpus Study , Randell S. Bentley

A Corpus-Based Analysis of Russian Word Order Patterns , Stephanie Kay Billings

English to ASL Gloss Machine Translation , Mary Elizabeth Bonham

The Development of an ESP Vocabulary Study Guidefor the Utah State Driver Handbook , Kirsten M. Brown

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• English learners’ proficiency scores continue to decline since pandemic, report finds

By Hannah Haynes

Emerging research and reports suggest that K-12 students identified as English learners (ELs) may have been especially vulnerable to COVID-19 pandemic-induced disruptions to their education. A new report from WIDA finds that proficiency scores for ELs have continued to decline since the pandemic.

The latest report , third in the series and authored by WIDA researchers Glenn Poole and Narek Sahakyan, continues to explore trends in English learner proficiency since the start of the pandemic.

WIDA, housed in the Wisconsin Center for Education Research at UW–Madison, provides language development resources to those who support the academic success of multilingual learners. That includes a suite of summative English language proficiency assessments, known as ACCESS for ELLs , that more than 2.5 million students take annually.

Evidence presented in this and previous WIDA reports shows that since the onset of the pandemic in 2020, the average proficiency of ELs in the WIDA Consortium has continued to decline in almost all grade levels and in most language domains. Though student assessment fully resumed in 2022 and more students than ever took ACCESS Online in 2023, the test scores for many students do not indicate a return to pre-pandemic “normalcy.”

The report found that ELs in higher grade levels especially are showing slower growth than pre-pandemic averages.

“If students do not receive the supports they need to reach reclassification-level proficiency, many more are likely to receive the ‘long-term’ label, which—in addition to further stigmatizing students identified as ELs—has implications for school and district accountability,” Sahakyan said.

Delayed language proficiency and reclassification out of EL status may also contribute to additional barriers that many language learners face in accessing advanced coursework and academic milestones important for college and career readiness.

Poole and Sahakyan’s analysis also found that pandemic-related disruptions may have exacerbated some of the existing and sizeable disparities between students identified as Hispanic and non-Hispanic.

The above graph shows composite scale scores for ACCESS Online from 2018-2023 for early elementary, late elementary, middle school and high school Hispanic students. The early elementary student scores show overall increasing scores that are far above the scores for the other three grade clusters, whose scores do not increase as much over the years.

Across the WIDA Consortium, approximately two-thirds of tested ELs are identified as Hispanic.

These findings point to inequitable opportunities for these students — even after schools returned to in-person instruction.

“More nuanced analyses are needed to unpack and understand how different subgroups of students may have faced disproportionate challenges during the pandemic and how those challenges may continue to affect students,” Poole said.

The latest administration of ACCESS recently wrapped up across the Consortium. WIDA research reports will continue to inform the national conversation around post-pandemic recovery and English learner outcomes in K-12 education. Future WIDA research will also examine disparities in outcomes between other EL subgroups.

In the meantime, Sahakyan and Poole suggest that states and districts conduct their own analyses and determine what resources and supports are appropriate to meet the unique needs of their students.

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Latest News

Graduate College

Science of language.

Ashby Martin, a third-year doctoral student in the neuroscience program, didn’t always want to study the brain. Initially, he wanted to be a librarian. At a young age, he memorized his library card number and looked up to the librarians. “My favorite place to go was the library,” he said. “Librarians get to give people knowledge and resources all for free. They give everyone the same access.”  

Buried in books, Martin found himself wanting to investigate things that were unknown; things that hadn’t been written down yet or even discovered, especially about the brain.   

This inclination led Martin to pursue neuroscience. Martin received his bachelor’s in neuroscience and behavior at the University of Notre Dame before joining Iowa’s doctoral program. The faculty, the connection to the hospital, and the foundational research that originated on campus were driving factors in his decision to come here. Martin specifically recalled Iowa’s psychological studies on patient S.M. (“The Woman with No Fear”) and meeting program director Dr. Dan Tranel.  

“That’s the past. [Tranel] is part of the present, and I could be part of the future. My research could be part of that future,” he says.  

Third-year doctoral student Ashby Martin. Photo provided by Ashby Martin.

Connecting through language  

At Iowa, Martin studies developmental neurolinguistics, particularly in young children who are bilingual in Spanish and English. His focus is on “numbers as language”, and he examines the neurological impact and visual representation of shifting between the individual’s multiple linguistic repertories through neurological imaging.   

One in three children under the age of eight speaks two languages. In Iowa, there are robust multilingual communities including West Liberty, Columbus Junction, and Amish populations who speak Pennsylvanian Dutch. As part of his studies, Martin has been able to connect with some of these multilingual communities in addition to participants in the Iowa City area.   

“Visually you can see the learning happening,” he says. “You can connect with people and share something local Iowans actually have . You can share effects that you see in their brains.”   

As someone who grew up speaking two languages, Martin has been able to use his Spanish to further connect with children who are involved in his studies and their parents. He noted that language barriers can impact a parent's involvement with their children’s activities , but being able to listen and respond to their questions in Spanish has bridged that gap.   

Martin notes that connecting with the parents has been a positive byproduct of this research. “Now there’s a parent who is not only engaged in research but is engaged with their kid in a new way that they maybe didn’t have access to before,” he describes. 

Martin leads a psychology and neuroscience station at a STEM event with students from West Liberty High School. Photo provided by Ashby Martin.

Expanding access to science  

One of the largest components of Martin’s research is the community impact. He recalls a story from Tranel, who also graduated from Notre Dame, about the implications of a university-required swim test. Despite its positive intentions, the test drew lines between students who had financial access to a pool and those who didn’t, emphasizing several considerations for research.   

“What is a good purpose? What is good execution? What is the back end of something that you are doing now, and how does it affect the local community?” Martin asks.

  Martin hopes that his work will shift people’s perspectives on language learning, especially modifying the mindset that one needs to achieve proficiency at an early age to learn a new language. Instead, Martin’s research emphasizes that developing a dual representation in the brain requires practice.   

Although he is only in his third year of his PhD, Martin hopes to eventually also publish in Spanish. One of his favorite parts of his work is addressing the lack of Spanish language representation in science by providing something that is normally only in English in Spanish. For Martin, this allows more people to be involved.  

With such a large emphasis on community engagement in his work, it’s no surprise that Martin can strike up a conversation with anyone over something as simple as the colors on a booth. For him, language is a common ground for developing connections with complete strangers.   

In the long-term, Martin hopes to bring his work to other countries outside of the United States to see if this dual representation presents in the same way across international multilingual populations. He describes this as seeing if it’s not just an “Iowa effect, but a human effect.”  

 For now, his team is focusing on bringing their technology out of the lab and into homes where language flows freely.  

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Japanese students' English proficiency is improving

The English proficiency of public junior and senior high school students in Japan is continuing to improve, an education ministry survey showed Thursday.

The share of third-year senior high school students with English skills equivalent to Grade Pre-2 or higher Eiken levels was up 1.9 points at 50.6%.

Both proportions reached 50% for the first time. The government aims to raise the figure to 60% or higher by fiscal 2027.

By prefecture and major city, the proportion of third-year junior high school students with Grade 3 or higher Eiken levels was highest in the city of Saitama, at 88.4%.

Fukui Prefecture came second, at 83.8%, followed by the city of Yokohama, at 67.2%. The lowest figure was marked in Saga Prefecture, at 30.1%.

For third-year high school students, Toyama Prefecture recorded the highest rate, of 61.4%, followed by Fukui Prefecture, at 61.1%, and Ishikawa Prefecture, at 59.0%.

Miyagi Prefecture posted the lowest figure, of 39.6%. The overall proportion of third-year high school students with Grade 2 or higher was 19.8%.

The levels of English skills greatly varied depending on the region. High scores were marked in prefectures and cities encouraging more students to take Eiken tests, ministry officials said.

The survey also showed that the share of English teachers with skills equivalent to Grade Pre-1 or higher rose to 44.8% at junior high schools and climbed to 80.7% at senior high schools.

The proportion of schools using digital textbooks was about 80% for elementary schools and some 90% for junior high schools, according to the survey.

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