Oral Communication Skills

Rules that govern proper communication are culturally specific. For example, which is a better form of greeting, to bow or shake hands? In this workshop, participants investigated how to help Japanese students learn about and deal with three key differences between Japanese and English speaking styles in order to help them speak English more naturally. In addition, participants were introduced to the basics of pragmatics, that area of linguistics that deals with meaning in context, or “the hidden rules of language.” Pragmatics was defined in lay terms, and a case was made for its inclusion within an oral communication curriculum for low-intermediate and above learners. Specific ideas on which aspects to focus upon and how to teach them were provided. Participants had an opportunity to experience and reflect on various activities that introduce, practice, and review progress in building pragmatic competency.

NOTE: This workshop presentation was given twice in 2014, once in March and again in September.

Resumen La investigación tuvo como objetivo la aplicación del método communicative approach para el desarrollo de la destreza oral del inglés en los estudiantes del cuarto nivel de la Escuela Superior Politècnica de Chimborazo, a través del diseño de un manual y el diagnosticó de métodos activos en el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje del idioma inglés. La investigación fue cualitativa, bibliográfica, de campo y de tipo descriptiva explicativa, no experimental, fundamentada en el método científico e hipotético. La población estuvo constituida por once (11) docentes del área de inglés y ciento cuarenta (140) estudiantes de cuarto nivel durante el periodo académico marzo-agosto 2018. Se utilizó la técnica de la observación mediante dos instrumentos de evaluación. Para los estudiantes se adaptó un instrumento basado Foreign Language Oral Skills Evaluation considerando los parámetros de: léxico, uso de estructuras, pronunciación y fluidez; mientras que para los docentes, se elaboró un instrumento con pares académicos y fue validado mediante el coeficiente de Cronbatch. Los instrumentos fueron aplicados en dos momentos: inicial y final del haber utilizado el manual. Los datos obtenidos fueron tabulados, analizados y procesados estadísticamente, permitiendo concluir que la aplicación del método Communicative Approach desarrolló la destreza oral del idioma inglés en los estudiantes del cuarto nivel. Palabras Clave: Communicative approach, Desarrollo de la destreza oral, Inglés, Educación superior

This study examined the oral communication strategies (OCS) employed by Iranian intermediate English as a foreign language (EFL) learners and the relationship between the use of these strategies and the learners’ self-efficacy beliefs and anxiety level. To this end, 160 participants were selected through convenience sampling. Next, three questionnaires were employed to determine the strategies the participants employ for coping with speaking and listening problems, their anxiety level, and their general self-efficacy. The results indicated that the most and the least frequently used strategies were “accuracy-oriented” and “massage abandonment” strategies when facing speaking problems and “word-oriented” and “fluency-oriented” strategies when confronting speaking problems. In addition, the results showed a significant positive relationship between OCSs and self-efficacy beliefs of the learners and a significant negative relationship between OCSs and their anxiety level.  The findings imply that OCSs are helpful in both increasing EFL learners’ self-efficacy beliefs and reducing their anxiety level. Further implications of the results are discussed in the study.

This study examined the oral communication strategies (OCS) employed by Iranian intermediate English as a foreign language (EFL) learners and the relationship between the use of these strategies and the learners’ self-efficacy beliefs and anxiety level. To this end, 160 participants were selected through convenience sampling. Next, three questionnaires were employed to determine the strategies the participants employ for coping with speaking and listening problems, their anxiety level, and their general self-efficacy. The results indicated that the most and the least frequently used strategies were “accuracy-oriented” and “massage abandonment” strategies when facing speaking problems and “word-oriented” and “fluency-oriented” strategies when confronting speaking problems. In addition, the results showed a significant positive relationship between OCSs and self-efficacy beliefs of the learners and a significant negative relationship between OCSs and their anxiety level. The findings ...

Autores por orden de firma:  Marta Martín del Pozo y José Luis Martín López

Las Habilidades para la Vida (toma de decisiones, resolución de problemas, pensamiento creativo, pensamiento crítico, comunicación efectiva, habilidades de relación interpersonal, autoconocimiento, empatía, manejo de emociones y manejo de estrés) son habilidades esenciales para el Ser Humano que permiten a los individuos responder efectivamente a las demandas y desafíos del día a día y, de este modo, contribuyen a su bienestar y felicidad. Debido a su importancia, consideramos que las Habilidades para la Vida deberían ser trabajadas en el sistema educativo y para ello es preciso que se utilicen todos los recursos que estén a nuestro alcance. En este sentido, uno de los recursos que pueden utilizarse son los videojuegos, una de las formas más usuales de entretenimiento en la actualidad. Los videojuegos pueden ser utilizados también en la educación y consideramos que pueden ser utilizados para trabajar las Habilidades para la Vida. En este caso, mostramos una propuesta educativa sobre cómo usar el videojuego Los Sims 2 para fomentar el desarrollo de la una de las Habilidades para la Vida, en particular la Comunicación Efectiva, en Educación Primaria, usando para ello un enfoque de aprendizaje colaborativo. Debido a todo esto, este artículo tratará de: Las Habilidades para la Vida (definición, una lista de ellas según la Organización Mundial de la Salud y su presencia en las leyes educativas españolas); algunos beneficios y experiencias de videojuegos en la educación; y la propuesta educativa para trabajar una de las Habilidades para la Vida, en particular la Comunicación Efectiva, usando el videojuego Los Sims 2 mediante un enfoque de aprendizaje colaborativo.

Objective fluency judgment has always been a formidable task in language testing. Nonetheless, temporal fluency is the type of fluency which can be measured and quantified. Given that, temporal fluency is also known as temporal measures of fluency (Luoma, 2004). Furthermore, it has aroused considerable interest in analyzing speech of language learners in terms of quantitative measures (Kormos & Denes, 2004; Freed, 1995; Riggenbach, 1991; Lennon, 1990). They suggested that certain measures of fluency can more objectively specify fluency level and that perceptual understanding of fluency to a high extent correlate with these measures. Following these studies, the present study was an endeavor to relate quantitative measures of fluency and assessment of fluency in oral speech of L2 learners. To do so 30 advanced EFL learners whose speaking score on TOEFL iBT scale was between 19 to 22, i.e. B2 on CEFR scale, were selected. Then, they were given a picture strip as the elicitation task and asked to make up a story based on that. Their voice was recorded, transcribed and further analyzed by voice analysis software called PRAAT to calculate seven measures of fluency. Meanwhile, two trained listeners were required to rate the recordings, scoring them from 1 to 9. Finally, the relationship between these variables was calculated. The results showed that judge listeners' ratings of fluency were highly correlated with speech rate, phonation time ratio, and mean length of runs. Moreover, among the measures of temporal fluency speech rate proved significantly correlated with articulation rate, phonation time ratio, and mean length of runs.

RESUMO A comunicação oral em língua inglesa tem sido discutida em várias pesquisas na área de ensino e aprendizagem de línguas. Muitos fatores contribuem para a prática reduzida das habilidades speaking e listening nas aulas de língua inglesa. O objetivo geral do projeto é desenvolver habilidades orais em língua inglesa por meio de debates, músicas e de outras atividades propostas para alunos do ensino médio de uma escola de São José dos Campos, interior de São Paulo. Já que as aulas do ensino médio, na instituição onde o projeto foi criado, são extremamente voltadas ao ensino de leitura e gramática, surgiu o interesse de se criar um clube de conversação no período contrário das aulas regulares. Os alunos têm a oportunidade de interagir em língua inglesa com convidados (em geral estrangeiros de diversos países e professores de inglês de escolas de idiomas da cidade). Os pressupostos teóricos que norteiam o projeto baseiam-se: na concepção de English for Specific Purposes pelo viés de Tom Hutchinson e Alan Waters (1987); na reflexão sobre o termo "conscientização" assim como discutida por Michael Scott (1986) no contexto de ensino de ESP e no documento Currículo do Estado de São Paulo: Linguagens, Códigos e suas Tecnologias (2010) que promove reflexão sobre o predomínio da ênfase estrutural nas escolas, restringindo a visão comunicativa a apenas algumas funções. A integração entre os alunos do ensino médio e da comunidade internacional tem trazido novas significações para o ensino da língua inglesa no contexto escolar. Com o projeto, desassociou-se o aprendizado de língua estrangeira das temidas avaliações escritas internas e externas que ainda são recorrentes no ensino. Assim, o clube de conversação tem interferido na cultura dos alunos, pais e equipe gestora, possibilitando outros projetos inovadores, como o intercâmbio anual para países falantes da língua inglesa. Palavras-chave: comunicação oral, ESP, aprendizagem de línguas

The study aimed to evaluate pre-servıce teachers’ communication skills. Research Faculty of Education University of Bartin Class Teacher Education, Science Teacher Education, Mathematics Education and Social Studies Education Department made over 175 pre-servıce teachers studying in the field. The questionnaire used in the collection of the data by Ersan and Balcı (1998) developed by communication skills inventory. This inventory is a likert-type 5 measurement tool consisting of 45 items, the scale of mental, emotional and behavioral measures in terms of communication skills. It contains 15 questions each of them size-related. In research pre-servıce teachers’ communication skills have investigated according to their genders and the science branches whether does not change. In research, it was tried to be answered the following questions:
1. What are communication skill levels of the senior students at the Faculty of Education, Bartın University?
2. Is there a statistically significant difference between communication skills of the senior students studying at the Faculty of Education, Bartın University with regard to their genders?
3. Is there a statistically significant difference between communication skills of the senior students studying at the Faculty of Education, Bartın University with regard to their departments?
The research universe constitutes the final year students of 2015-2016 studying at Bartın University Faculty of Education Department of Primary Education. Sampling is compose by 175 students from selected the final year students at Department of Elementary Education. The survey model was used in the research. In the analysis of data used the statistical processing of the data from independent groups t-test and one-way ANOVA. As a result of the research pre-servıce teachers in communication skills was found a significant difference in favour of females. Pre-servıce teachers’ in communication skills was found significant difference in science branches. This difference is in favor of Class Teaching include Class Teacher Education, Science Teacher Education, Mathematics Education and Social Studies Education Department.

This article follows previous research arguing that skills of call center agents, which often include emotional labor, communication, procedural and substantive knowledge, and articulation work, are mostly invisible. Moving beyond previous analyses linking call centers to low-skilled standardized work, I draw on ethnographic fieldwork and transpositional analysis in the Philippines and the UK to show which real-world processes and written practices make agents' skills not only invisible and illegible to industry outsiders but also their managers. I argue that textualization practices such as data entry and script work are important, and that deemphasizing quantification in favor of qualitative assessment could produce better outcomes for agents and skill appreciation by others.

This study applied the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) to explore the attitudes of English major students on using virtual learning platforms and their impact on the improvement of oral communication skills. Data was collected using a survey that was administered to English major students at the University of Bahrain (UOB). Data was coded and analyzed using descriptive statistical tools on SPSS. The overall results showed a mean value of 3+ for all statements demonstrating the relative effect of virtual learning in advancing oral communication. In addition, the mean values for all the constructs were above 3 indicating that most of the responses of the participants were leaning on the positive effect of virtual learning. The results showed that social influence had an impact on the use of e-learning to promote oral communication skills with a mean value of 3.53. The mean values of each construct demonstrated a general tendency of acceptance of virtual learning in relation to oral skills. However, there was a weak level of intention to use e-learning in the future as more than two statements had low mean values. Moreover, although there was a general moderate acceptance of virtual learning, the nostalgia to the genius loci of the classroom was evident. Interestingly, there seems to be no difference between the two groups, and hence gender might not have an effect on the acceptance of information and communication technology (ICT) as an environment for promoting oral communication skills.

Oral examination is an assessment used in schools and institution to measure aspects of competence not tapped in written examinations. This may be different from the typical written type of examination, but this can assess and measure real performance as whatever has been learned is put into action. The implementation of oral examination in tertiary level in most courses is an appropriate tool to determine the students’ ability to communicate ideas in coherent and verbal sentences. Oral examination has been implemented in the College Department of Franciscan College of the Immaculate Conception (FCIC) for the midterm and semi-final quarter. The assessment is administered by the instructor of the particular subject. The study determined the level of implementation and effectiveness of the oral examination to the communication skills, and the difficulties encountered during the implementation in the College Department of Franciscan College of the Immaculate Conception, Baybay City, Leyte, Philippines on the Academic Year 2016-2017. Questionnaires were administered to randomly chosen 21 teachers and 379 college students. The level of the implementation of oral examination was effective to some students, except those who had problems in dealing with the oral examination. There was a significant difference among the level of effectiveness on the implementation of oral examination in terms of communication skills which implied that oral examination was an effective means of enhancing the speaking skills of some students but not on others. Further, there were difficulties encountered by the teachers and students during the implementation of oral examination.

Pragmatics is a very important aspect of language that helps in establishing the purpose
of any communication. It accounts for the usage, the properties and the processes of language.
Communication is not an isolated process. It occurs in continuum. It is a two-way channel
between the speaker and the hearer with reversible roles and the complete comprehension of the
utterance can be obtained only when the entire context is taken into consideration. The paper
reviews the development of pragmatics as a separate branch of study focusing on its various
aspects and elements. Speech acts which are the essence of any communication are an integral
part of pragmatics.
Keywords: Pragmatics, Utterance, Speech Acts, Deixis, Context, Reference.

Abstract
Famous writers like Salman Rushdie, V.S Naipual, JhumpaLahiri, Anita Desai,
M G Vassanji and others who are associated with writing related to diaspora at
length have talked about the issues like loss of identity, struggle of settlement,
longing for motherland, problems of history, intergenerational conflict, nostalgia,
madness etc in their short stories, novels, poems, autobiographies etc. Vijay
Lakmshi as a short story writer is one among many who has also made an attempt
to portray the issues related to the life people specially the Indians living in
United States of America. Her short stories particularly highlight the ‘quest for
identity’ and the ‘conflict with the self’ of the individuals who try to adjust in the
alien culture and society. Therefore the present paper attempts to highlight the
recurring theme of ‘Quest for identity’ and ‘Conflict with the self’ in the short
story titled ‘Home’ and Mannequins’.
Keywords: Quest, Identity, Conflict, Struggle of Settlement

Resumen: .Recordamos que en el currículo de la Junta de Andalucía (Orden 17 de marzo de 2015) se especifica lo siguiente: el área Lengua Castellana y Literatura tendrá como principal objetivo el desarrollo de las habilidades lingüísticas: escuchar, hablar y dialogar, leer y escribir y, de forma más específica, animar a la lectura y comprensión de textos literarios, que contribuirán significativamente a desarrollar la competencia lingüística o comunicativa. A su vez, desarrollará el conocimiento de la lengua favoreciendo la reflexión sobre su uso en cualquier contexto comunicativo (Consejería de Educación, Cultura y Deporte, 2015, p.226). La comunicación lingüística o competencia comunicativa se plantea con estos componentes: primero, la competencia lingüística o gramatical; segundo, la competencia sociocultural y socio lingüística; tercera, la competencia textual o discursiva; cuarta, la competencia estratégica o pragmática; quinta, la competencia literaria; sexta, la competencia semiológica (2015, p.227). De este modo la competencia comunicativa es un concepto amplio y complejo. Para citar: Peña Acuña, B. COMUNICACIÓN ORAL EN EDUCACIÓN PRIMARIA: APROXIMACIÓN INTERDISCIPLINAR Y ESTRATEGIAS. En Velasco Moreno I.. Trigo Ibañez, E. y  Domínguez Romero, E. (Coordinadoras) 2020 . Nuevas lecturas docentes. Valencia: Editorial Tirant lo Blanch. Colección Tirant Humanidades. Ciencias de la Comunicación. Ranking general SPI Q1, número 1.


Abstract:  We recall that the curriculum of the Junta de Andalucía (Order March 17, 2015) specifies the following: the area of Spanish Language and Literature will have as its main objective the development of language skills : listen, speak and dialogue, read and write and, more specifically, encourage reading and comprehension of literary texts, which will contribute significantly to developing linguistic or communicative competence. In turn, it will develop the knowledge of the language favoring reflection on its use in any communicative context (Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport, 2015, p. 226). Linguistic communication or communicative competence is proposed with these components: first, linguistic or grammatical competence; second, sociocultural and sociolinguistic competence; third, the textual or discursive competence; fourth, strategic or pragmatic competition; fifth, literary competition; sixth, semiological competition (2015, p. 227). In this way, communicative competence is a broad and complex concept.

With increasing demand for accounting professionals, audit firms are banking on universities to provide graduates equipped with technical know-how and critical English skills. This explains heightened employer concern over the business English skills of new hires, prompting questions on adequacy and relevance of English taught in universities. Hence, this study probes into English skills necessary for new accountants in audit firms. Human resource directors of top audit firms in the Philippines describe the relevant skills in the workplace tasks of entry-level employees. Findings present a model of key English skills that provide leverage to accounting graduates in the Philippines.

Citar asi: González-López, M. (2021).  Habilidades para desarrollar la lectoescritura en los niños de educación primaria. Universidad Miguel de Cervantes. Boletin Iberoamericano de Opiniones. 

One of the problems in the world of teaching-learning is the lack of skills to achieve literacy. The method is in five stages; diagnosis, planning, educational intervention, analysis and conclusion. The teaching-learning of literacy requires the development of thinking, linguistic, motor, informational, physical and socio-emotional skills.

In a modern world full of challenges and needs, the proficiency of speaking skills is considered to be a priority for ELT learners as they evaluate their language competence based on the improvement of fluency and accuracy and the effectiveness of their communication in English language. Despite the fact that a lot of learners are fluent readers and writers of English, they have difficulties when they have to speak and communicate. This article is an attempt to design and evaluate the effectiveness of an original speaking lesson for young learners in the ELT Greek class, based on specific criteria and encouraging the teacher to implement innovative and creative methods and approaches .

Chronological Bible Storying is a young discipline in the field of missiology. Using narrative to communicate with primary and oral preference learners is a model older than the Bible. Jesus used oral models when He told narratives and parables to His audience of first-century Palestine because this is how they learned.

Textual based communication models have steadily increased in dominance since Gutenberg's invention of the moveable typeface printing press. This has led to the Bible being translated into many languages. Bible translation history shows that the primary purpose for translation was to communicate the Gospel in the vernacular for wider communicative impact on audiences. The purpose of Bible translation is clearer communication of God's Word.

Over the past hundred years, Bible translation has matured. Eugene Nida and others built upon the dynamic equivalence translation models of Martin Luther and established best practices of Bible translation, checking, and testing. Checking also included the role of translation consultants. These outsiders provide a third-party assessment of the translation principles used and the checking of written translations. Consultants play an integral part in the Bible translation process.

Chronological Bible Storying and other storying models have historically lacked the rigorous checking, testing, and consultation required by written Bible Translation. This dissertation explored and described the factors involved in the testing, checking, and consultant checking Bible translations and proposed a model for checking Bible stories and story sets based upon the best practices of written Bible Translation consultation.

Speaking is an important skill in language learning and EFL learners sometimes face difficulties when they want to speak. This study attempted to measure the effect of Kagan's cooperative structures on speaking skill of Iranian EFL learners. The participants were selected from EFL learners studying at Ideal Language Institute. The Cambridge English Language Assessment was administered in order to select homogenous participants. Forty eight adult female EFL learners were selected as intermediate learners based on their results of the language proficiency test. They were divided into two groups, 24 as the control group and 24 as the experimental group. A pre-test was administered to both groups at the beginning of the experiment then, the students participated in 90 minute classes two times a week for eight sessions. At the end of the experiment, a post-test was assigned to both groups to determine whether the Kagan's cooperative structures had positively affected the students' speaking skills. The normality of data was tested through Skewness, Kurtosis, and K-S. To make sure the participants were homogenous, the parametric statistical technique of independent-samples t-test was calculated between the pre-tests of both groups and they were homogenous. Independent-samples t-test between the post-tests of the experimental group and the control group was calculated and it showed that the participants of the experimental group outperformed the subjects of the control group. Moreover, paired-samples t-test between the pre-test and post-test of the experimental group was calculated and it was shown that the experimental participants progressed from the pre-test to the post-test. The study revealed that: (1) Kagan's cooperative structures had a positive effect on the students' speaking skills, (2) the experimental group obtained higher scores in the post-test than in the pre-test, making the difference between the pre-test and post-test scores statistically significant. Based upon the conclusion drawn from the study, Kagan's cooperative structures were recommended to English classes.

The realization of speech anxiety among ESL/EFL learners is important. Once understood, these feelings of fear or
nervousness may be relieved and the desired objectives of learning the target language may be achieved. The study has
attempted to measure the level of anxiety among ESL/EFL learners at HITEC University, Taxila, Pakistan. The current
research has arrived at the conclusion that the target population is highly anxious in situation where they are required to
speak English. The findings show that sources such as pedagogical, psychological, socio-economic, linguistic and
cultural generate anxiety among the EFL learners. The study has suggested variety of strategies to treat anxiety in the
academic context. It was found that communicative approach in classroom may be helpful in minimizing the negative
impact of anxiety among language learners.

La presente investigación tuvo como objetivo proponer un programa basado en el enfoque por tareas que contenga tareas comunicativas para desarrollar la expresión oral de los estudiantes de 4° año de Educación Media General de una Unidad Educativa ubicada en el sector El Bosque de El Vigía. Esta se enmarca dentro del enfoque comunicativo con un
diseño basado en investigación-acción. La información del diagnóstico se obtuvo a través de observaciones a los estudiantes para conocer su desempeño en la expresión oral en inglés; una entrevista a 4 estudiantes de rendimiento académico diferente para saber sus
percepciones sobre su destreza oral y un coloquio en el que se buscaba conocer las opiniones de los estudiantes sobre su proceso de expresión oral. Como resultado del diagnóstico aplicado a un grupo de 33 estudiantes de la asignatura inglés que participaron
en la investigación, se obtuvo que los estudiantes no desarrollaron la expresión oral debido a que en los años de estudio anteriores, los profesores de inglés no realizaban suficientes actividades orales. Posteriormente se elaboró un programa basado en el enfoque por tareas, compuesto por dos unidades didácticas, donde cada una tenía actividades comunicativas y de aprendizaje. Dicho programa se aplicó durante 18 días de clase, empleando las técnicas
de observación para registrar situaciones de los estudiantes y el coloquio para conocer sus impresiones. En conclusión, el enfoque por tareas, logra el desarrollo de la expresión oral de los participantes en situaciones comunicativas reales con la ayuda de estrategias de
aprendizaje y comunicación usadas en la ejecución de las unidades didácticas.
Palabras clave: Enfoque por tareas, expresión oral, tareas comunicativas, estrategias de expresión oral

Being able to communicate effectively is a much sought after skill by employers in today’s globalised work contexts. This article examines the types of oral communication difficulties faced by Diploma level ESL learners. This study also analysed the types of communication strategies used by the students to cope with speaking and listening problems during English oral communication activities. With these research objectives, a questionnaire known as the Oral Communication Strategies Inventory (OCSI) was distributed to 100 Diploma of Hotel Management students at the UiTM branch campus in Penang. Following that, 16 students from the total population were interviewed and they also took part in a journal writing activity to explain the difficulties they encounter when engaging in English conversation with others. The results revealed that difficulties occurred due to learners’ lack of English language knowledge. It was also found that learners are keen to get involved in English oral communication activities and most of them negotiate meaning with the interlocutors to understand the intended messages. The implications of this study suggest that teachers should be more creative in constructing interactive learning experiences for their students and teach coping strategies as part of students’ repertories of oral communication skills.

Abstract
Communication is derived from languages, languages enhance communication. While
listening and speaking skills are the most direct and feasible approach to acquire
foreign language communication skills, learning Chinese as Foreign Language (CFL)
requires different approaches due to the language complexity by nature – the unique
phonetic system and pictographic characters form. Baddeley’s Model of Working
Memory explains, to retain verbal communication in memory, a sub-vocal rehearsal
process in the articulatory loop is needed, to prevent phonological information fading
away in seconds; Sweller’s Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) explains further the
limitations of working memory capacity during learning instruction. Hence, a
qualitative phenomenological research was conducted to identify the learning
phenomena in Malaysia. Eight respondents underwent semi-structured interviews
through the online video-call system “Skype”: Four CFL teachers from International
Schools in Penang, Perak, Kuala Lumpur and Johor; and four CFL learners from
Korea, Malaysia and Thailand. This preliminary investigation confirmed that CFL
learners encounter difficulties in language tones and characters; teachers and learners’
needs are moving in inverse directions: Learners have a thirst for learning oral
communication skills in phonetic form; teachers on the contrary, focusing on reading
and writing skills in Chinese characters, to prepare learners for paper writing
assessments. Hence, alternative learning pedagogy is in need to address the problems
for the CFL beginner learners. Mobile learning (social chat-room with peer-tutoring)
therefore is suggested to facilitate to assist the CFL learners in acquiring the foreign
language, subconsciously; particularly with audio messaging to plays its rehearsing
roles for speech-based retention.

Keywords: Mobile Learning, Oral Communicative Skills, Chinese as a Foreign
Language, Peer Tutoring, Audio Messaging.

Obtaining oral communication competency is an important skill for engineering students to prepare them for interacting and working in any professional setting. For engineers, it is also important to be able to present technical information to non-technical audiences. To ensure oral competency, a non-graded formative assessment approach using video with self and peer assessment was introduced into a final year engineering thesis course. A low workload approach was used due to growing student numbers and higher pressures on academic staff. A quasi-experimental design was used to investigate the differences between traditional delivery, self-assessment, and combined self-assessment with peer feedback. The study found that the formative models were seen by students to help develop their presentation skills. However, the results showed no significant improvement compared to the traditional method. This could be due to previous presentation practice within the degree or more probable, the lack of incentive for weaker students to engage and improve due to the ungraded nature of the activity.

Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Special Issue on CALL No.2 July, 2015     
                                                                                                                                                                  Pp. 195 –206




Discussion-Based Approach to English Language Teaching and Learning
A Digital Dedicated Language Laboratory



Naima Hamlaoui
Department of English
Faculty of Letters, Human and Social Sciences
El-Bouni Campus
Badji Mokhtar University,
Annaba, Algeria.

&

Nacereddine Benabdallah
Department of Foreign Languages
Faculty of Letters and Languages,
Mohamed-Cherif Messadia University,Algeria



Abstract
One of the most fundamental concerns of teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) is to maximize the opportunities of learner-learner talk. Digitalized technological facilities can motivate committed teachers to adapt and adopt innovative ways of teaching oral skills. This article reports on an action research project implemented during one semester with a group of 14 willing Master students at the Department of Foreign Languages, Mohamed Cherif Messadia University, Souk-Ahras, Algeria. The aim was to investigate the effectiveness of the Digital Dedicated Language Laboratory (DDLL) in teaching English through a discussion-based approach. A well designed protocol made up of three types of discussion: framing, conceptual, and application discussions was adopted. The findings revealed that students were able to develop their linguistic, socio-cultural and pragmatic competences. They were also given the opportunity to exploit the various facilities, and tools available at the DDLL.
Keywords: Action research; digital; discussion; EFL; laboratory; oral skills.

The major aim of the present chapter is to focus on the application of the intercultural approach in the development of communicative skills in Business English. It seems that intercultural language education has redefined the agenda of modern teaching all over the world and it has touched upon various types of English. The author intends to discuss the skills relevant in the process of communication in Business English, which prove enormously different from those worked on in everyday communication. The intercultural component is particularly essential in Business English as learners should not only have a chance to become familiar with the cultural information related to the language they are studying, but also possess and develop a certain degree of intercultural awareness and sensitivity since they are demanded from any business persons communicating at the criss-cross of cultures. 22.1. The Intercultural Approach in Foreign Language Teaching In recent years a growing body of research has been observed in the area of the intercultural approach in language teaching. In line with the findings, it has been implied that language learners must be developed into intercultural speakers who are able to engage with complex and multiple identities. In addition, it is imperative to avoid the stereotyping which accompanies perceiving someone through a single identity (Byram et al., 2004). The intercultural dimension in language teaching is concerned with: (1) helping learners to understand how intercultural interactions take place, (2) how social identities become part of all interaction, (3) how their perceptions of other people and other people's perceptions of them influence the success of communication,

Especially in the context of large classes, speaking opportunities are limited in the EFL Japanese university context. By allowing students to submit oral reports and assignments, whether just for practice, for formative assessment, or for summative assessment, this speaking time can be increased. The presenter will allow participants to experience the easy-to-use Lingtlanguage platform firsthand, and share her experiences using the platform with one, two-semester university course during the 2014 academic year, when it was used as a method for students to record oral assignments accessed by the teacher at a later time. Both benefits and pitfalls of using the system will be highlighted, and participants can expect to learn enough to confidently apply the online platform in their own English speaking skills classes. A few alternative platforms and applications for creating digital recordings will be introduced.

Abstract
The present epoch will perhaps be above all the epoch of space. We are in the epoch of simultaneity: we are in the epoch of juxtaposition, the epoch of the near and far, of the side-by-side, of the dispersed.
-Foucault, Of Other Spaces
Human geographers, often related to the postmodernist school, have been using the term heterotopia to understand the contemporary emergence of (cultural, social, political, economic) difference and identity as a central issue in larger multicultural cities. The idea of place (more often related to ethnicity and gender and less often to the social class issue) as a heterotopic entity has been gaining attention in the current context of postmodern, poststructuralist theoretical discussion (and political practice) in Geography and other spatial-social sciences.
Reading select Indian novels from a Foucauldian perspective is an attempt to blur the interdisciplinary boundaries and render a new dimension to understand vex issue called ‘communalism’. Present paper is bifurcated into two sections: I) Notion of
Heterotopia and II) Heterotopia and Communal Violence in Post 1970s Indian Fiction.

This research paper discusses the relation between oral communication apprehension (CA) and communication competence (CC). There is a pronounced link between oral CA and CC in English language learners. Students who have English either as their second or a foreign language face considerable difficulty in conversing due to a natural apprehension and lack of confidence relating to correctness, fluency and other factors. This study investigates the major role CA and CC play in English language or second/foreign language learning through perfection and imperfection of linguistic repertoire, grammatical construction, social context, motivation, willingness to communicate, and teaching techniques. The paper concludes with a number of recommendations, such as providing motivation through different motivational activities, encouraging oral communication by means of suggested strategies, and designing an English language learning curriculum in accordance with the backgrounds of the target students.