Since cultural aspects of language learning are not incorporated in some EFL materials and textbooks, this study can be important to investigate the impacts of using cultural-based instruction on developing the speaking skill of Indonesian EFL learners. In addition, this research tried to examine the effects of using cultural-based instruction on foreign language anxiety of Indonesian EFL learners. To reach these aims, the Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT) was given to 83 EFL learners, and 50 of them were selected for the target sample of the current investigation. The selected respondents were then randomly divided into two equal experimental and control groups. Afterward, the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) questionnaire was given to both groups. After providing the stated questionnaire, both groups were pretested by a speaking test. After that, the experimental group was instructed by applying a cultural-based instruction, while the control group received a noncultural-based education. After the instruction ended, the FLCAS questionnaire and the posttest of speaking were given to the respondents to determine the effects of the cultural-based instruction on their speaking skills and foreign language anxiety. The collected data were analyzed by using independent samples and paired sample
t
-tests. The results revealed that the experimental group had better performances than the control group on the speaking and anxiety posttests. Finally, based on the results, some conclusions and implications were suggested.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of online instruction through different mobile applications has become more common in education all over the world. Therefore, this research investigated the potential effects of using WeChat-based online instruction on Iranian EFL learners’ vocabulary knowledge. To achieve this objective, 44 Iranian intermediate subjects were picked out among 67 students based on the findings of the Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT). The subjects were then randomly divided into two equal groups: experimental and control. After assigning the subjects to two groups, they were pretested by a vocabulary test. Then, the experimental group received vocabulary instruction using WeChat application, while the control group received a conventional vocabulary instruction. After the instruction, a vocabulary posttest was given to both groups to assess the effectiveness of the treatment. The gathered data were analyzed through independent samples t-test, one-way ANCOVA, and paired samples t-test. The outcomes attained in this research demonstrated that there was a significant difference between the posttests of both groups in favor of the experimental group. Eventually, the conclusions and the pedagogical implications of this study were explicated.
Students who learn about different cultures during their education feel more comfortable and safer with these differences later in life. This allows them to interact in a wider range of social groups and feel more confident in themselves and in their interactions with others. Thus, language and culture are not separated. Considering this important point, the present research inspected the impacts of having English CBK on improving the EFLL learners’ RC and motivation. In addition, the EFLL learners’ attitudes towards incorporating English cultural-based materials (CBMs) into their English coursebook were examined. This was accomplished by randomly dividing 50 pre-intermediate students from a private English language institution into two groups: an experimental group (EG) and a control group (CG). Next, the motivation questionnaire developed by Hayami and colleagues (1989) was delivered to the individuals in both groups of participants. Following that, all participants received a pretest of RC, and then, the intervention was performed. The EG was instructed through using the English CBMs, while the CG received the instruction using culture-free materials. The entire treatment took 11 sessions. In the last three sessions, the reading posttest, the motivation, and the attitude questionnaires were administered to assess the influences of the treatment on the RC and motivation of the EFL learners (EFLLs). The results of the statistical analyses indicated that the EG had better performances than the CG on the posttests of RC and reading motivation (RM). Also, the results divulged that the EFL students manifested positive attitudes towards integrating English CBMs into their English coursebook. Considering the findings of this study, some implications are proposed at the end of this study.
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