Browsing by Subject "formulaic language"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5

Open Access
The effect of explicit teaching of formulaic language on Turkish English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' writing performance
(2013) Ergin, Işıl
This study investigates the effect of explicit teaching of formulaic language on Turkish English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ use of formulaic language and overall writing performance. The study was carried out with 31 Upper Intermediate level EFL learners at Bülent Ecevit University, Foreign Languages Compulsory Preparatory School. In order to examine the effect of formulaic language instruction, two treatment classes were formed for the study. Before the treatment, all students in each treatment class were administered a pre-test to determine their use of formulaic language and overall writing performance. After the pre-test, all students received a four-week formulaic language training. At the end of this period, the students were given the same test as the post-test to see if the training had any effect on their formulaic language use and writing performance. The results of the content analysis conducted by counting the number of multi-word metadiscourse markers used accurately or inaccurately in the pre and the post-test revealed that the number of discourse markers the students used accurately in the post-test has increased to a great extent. The data gained through the comparison of the pre and post-test scores of the students through Wilcoxon Signed Ranks test also indicated that there was a statistically significant difference in their writing performance after the training. These findings suggest that formulaic language training has been effective in improving the students’ formulaic language use and overall writing performance. In light of the findings, the study provides insights into the future teaching practices in regards to formulaic language. All stakeholders such as administrators, instructors, material designers, and curriculum developers can benefit from the results of the present study to develop materials, create syllabi, shape curricula, and conduct classes accordingly
Open Access
The effect of L1 on L2 formulaic expression production
(2014) Preiffer, Kyle
This study explores whether congruencies in an individual's native language (L1, Turkish) have an effect on the production of formulaic expressions and their respective contexts in that individual's second language (L2, English). The study was carried out with an ENG101 class of 15 students at Bilkent University, Faculty of Academic English. In order to determine the effect of the availability of L1 equivalences on the production of L2 formulaic expressions and their contexts, the participants were given two pre-tests (a Discourse Completion Test and a Writing Prompt) to assess their ability to produce idioms in English and their appropriate contexts. After the pre-tests, the sample participated in two one-hour workshops on the target idioms that related them to their Turkish counterparts in three categories: Category I, word-for-word English translations of the idiom used in Turkish; Category II, conceptually similar English versions of the idiom used in Turkish; and Category III, idioms specific to the English language. After the workshops, the participants were given the same tests as post-tests in order to observe any improvement they might have made due to the treatment. The participants were also given a questionnaire regarding their opinions on the effectiveness of the workshop. The results of the study showed that there was a relatively equal rate of improvement in all three categories of idioms. The one-way ANOVA test conducted confirmed that one category was not easier for the participants than the others to improve on. The participants improved at an equal rate in all categories. However, the starting and ending point was highest in Category II, conceptually similar idioms. These findings suggest that explicit instruction of any category of idioms can promote their production, and the production of their contexts, and that the students generally respond positively to a methodology involving comparisons with their L1. The findings of this study provide insight into the teaching of formulaic language. Teachers and students can benefit from the results of the current study by including target formulaic expressions in their course curricula, and determining the appropriateness or favorability of drawing comparisons to the students' L1 when learning such expressions in L2.
Open Access
The effects of watching American TV series on tertiary level EFL learners' use of formulaic language
(2014) Erdemir, Fatma Birgül
This study investigates the effects of watching an American TV Series, How I Met Your Mother (HIMYM), on tertiary level English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ use of formulaic language. The participants were 66 Upper Intermediate level students studying at Akdeniz University, School of Foreign Languages, Intensive English Program. The study employed an experimental and a control group. At the beginning of the study, both groups were administered a pre-Discourse Completion Test (DCT) to determine their knowledge of formulaic language. After the pre-test, the experimental group received formulaic language training through watching an American TV Series HIMYM while the control group received a traditional training of formulaic language without watching any American TV Series. At the end of the 3-week training, both groups were given a post-DCT to see if they have developed their use of formulaic language. After a two-week interval, both groups received a recall-DCT to check the long term effects of formulaic language training. The findings revealed that, both the experimental and the control groups have made progress in their use of formulaic language at the end of the formulaic language training. However, the experimental group’s development is statistically much higher than that of the control group in the recall-DCTs, which indicates the long-term effects of watching an American TV Series HIMYM. The findings revealed that formulaic language training through watching American TV Series is effective in improving the students’ formulaic language use in the long term. This finding confirms the previous literature which emphasizes the influence the use of authentic media tools has on foreign language acquisition. The present study has filled the gap in the literature on formulaic language use by suggesting the use of an American TV Series HIMYM as a source to develop EFL learners’ formulaic language use. This study gives the stakeholders; the administrators, curriculum designers, material developers, and teachers the opportunity to draw on the findings in order to shape curricula, create syllabi, develop materials, and conduct classes accordingly
Open Access
The use formulaic language by English as a foreign language (EFL) learners in oral proficiency exams
(2014) Üstünbaş, Ümran
This study investigates in what ways EFL learners use formulaic language that is taught in their curriculum through course books when taking oral proficiency exams with multi-task and whether there is a relationship between their formulaic language use and their scores of fluency and overall proficiency. The study was carried out with 190 EFL learners with different proficiency levels at Bülent Ecevit University, the School of Foreign Languages. In order to examine the ways of formulaic language use by the participants, a content analysis of the course book was carried out so as to determine the target formulaic language list with the frequency of occurrence of each expression in the book. After that, a content analysis of the video recordings of oral proficiency exams was performed to see the students’ formulaic language use and the results of the two content analyses were compared in order to draw conclusions. In order to relate the students’ formulaic language use to their fluency and overall proficiency, the scores that the students have received for fluency and their proficiency scores at the end of the academic year were taken into consideration. The results of the content analyses conducted by counting the number of the occurrence of each expression in the book and their accurate use by the participants revealed that the students mostly used the formulaic expressions in the book accurately while they also used expressions that are not included in the book. The data gained through the analysis of the relationship between formulaic language use and fluency and overall proficiency revealed a statistically significant relationship between the related variables implying that they are interconnected concepts. These findings suggest that the students use formulaic language taught in their curriculum through course books and their formulaic language use is related to their fluency and overall proficiency. In light of these findings, the study sheds light on the future teaching practices for formulaic language and it offers implications for stakeholders such as instructors, administrators, curriculum and material developers in order to design curricula, develop materials and teach classes.
Open Access
The use of formulaic language by English as a foreign language (EFL) learners in writing proficiency exams
(2015) Kılıç, Sultan Zarif
This study investigates the ways EFL learners use formulaic language that is taught in their curriculum through course books when taking writing proficiency exams and whether there is a relationship between their formulaic language use and their scores of coherence, total writing and overall proficiency. The study was carried out with 150 EFL learners with the same exit level of proficiency at Yıldız Technical University, the School of Foreign Languages. In order to explore how formulaic language was used by the participants, a content analysis of the course books was carried out to determine the target formulaic language list and their frequency of occurrence in the books. Following that, a content analysis of the participants’ writing proficiency exam papers was conducted so as to see their formulaic language use. The results of the two content analyses were compared to draw conclusions. In order to find a possible relationship between the students’ formulaic language use and their scores of coherence, total writing and overall proficiency, the scores that the students have received for coherence and total writing in the final writing proficiency exam and their overall proficiency score at the end of the academic year were taken into consideration. The results of the content analyses conducted by counting the number of formulaic expressions presented in the course books and used by the students in the writing proficiency exam revealed that the students mostly used the formulaic expressions that were more frequently represented in the course books accurately while the expressions they used inaccurately were less represented in the course books. The data gained through the analysis of the relationship between the students’ formulaic language use and their coherence, total writing and overall proficiency scores revealed that there was no statistically significant relationship between the related variables implying that the concepts are not directly interconnected. These findings suggest that the students use formulaic language taught in their curriculum through course books; however, their formulaic language use is not related to their scores of coherence, total writing and overall proficiency. In light of the findings, the study provides insights into the future teaching practices in regards to formulaic language. It also offers implications for all stakeholders such as administrators, language instructors, and curriculum and material developers in order to design curricula, develop materials, and conduct classes accordingly.