The Effects of English Language Proficiency
62 Pages17516 Words254 Views
Added on 2020-10-15
The Effects of English Language Proficiency
Added on 2020-10-15
ShareRelated Documents
ENGLISH PROFICIENCY AND ADJUSTMENT TO UNIVERSITY LIFE 1The Effects of English Language Proficiency on Adjustment to University LifeStudent’s NameCourseProfessor’s NameInstitutional AffiliationCityDate
ENGLISH PROFICIENCY AND ADJUSTMENT TO UNIVERSITY LIFE 2English Language Proficiency and its Impact on Adjustment the Life of UniversityIntroduction1.1.Background of the StudyUniversities worldwide have become more internationalized, as students seek for highereducation in global nations. The number of international students has significantly inclined from2,000,000 to 4,000,000 between 2000 and 2012 (UNESCO Statistics, 2014). British council(2013) indicated that the number of global learners from China in the UK constitute the largestproportion followed by that of the United States. Various studies have been performed byscholars on the adjustment to life involving Chinese students in the United Kingdom suggestedthat many encounter various issues in their university life such as English language skills (Wang,2015, 51), social support (Yu and Wright, 2016, 49), psychological issues (Gallagher, 2013, 53)and learning shock (Gu and Maley, 2008, 224) and thus, this has resulted in difficulties for theChinese students when it comes to adjusting to university life. The psychological, academic and social adjustments of the Chinese students seemintertwined. However, little research has been done on this. Seeking education internationallyenables students to grow personally. Beaven and Spencer-Oatey (2016, 349) attempted to studythe intercultural development of students abroad, but this study has failed to focus more on theactual adjustment processes of the Chinese students to the university life abroad. 1.1.1.English Language ProficiencyThe study of adjustment to university life can be enhanced by looking at the expertise inthe English dialect. According to Allen and Mills (2016, 498), proficiency in the Englishlanguage constitutes the capability of the learners to employ English to communicate and makemeaningful verbal expressions, as well as, in writing. For instance, if a student can be able toexpress and socialize with others accurately in English without stammering, while being
ENGLISH PROFICIENCY AND ADJUSTMENT TO UNIVERSITY LIFE 3understood, then the student would be said to be proficient in the English language. Yoo, Manna,Monfills and Oh (2019, 289) defined proficiency as the advancement in knowledge or skill. Interms of the English dialect, it entails the advancement in the English dialect or the skill of usingthe English language. Luo and Daly (2019) identified English language proficiency in the Chinese content andfound that the market pressure on the students from China to obtain qualifications in the Englishlanguage has created an environment, whereby the English language is both a utility and asymbolic value. Langum and Sullivan (2017, 20) studied “composing educational English as adoctoral student based in Sweden” suggested that it is essential for the doctoral students to besupported in their journey of being bi-literate academic writers, rather than the notion of beingnative speakers. Renandya, Hamied and Nurkamto (2018, 618) considered English languageproficiency in Indonesia and suggested that as teachers may not have reached a level ofproficiency with regards to the English language, training programmes need to be developed toraise the proficiency of the teachers. Garcia-Ponce (2020, 145) analyzed English languageproficiency in Mexico. The evidence by Garica-Ponce (2020, 145) suggested that there wereseveral needs that hindered students in Mexico to attain their objectives in the proficiency of theEnglish Language in the tertiary education context. Various scholars have studied the influence of English language expertise. The scholarsdiscovered that the ability of the engineers to communicate in the English language effectivelyand efficiently was paramount at their workplace, not only in Nepal, but also in other nationsworldwide. Adebola, Ayodele, Foluke, Olufunke and Lasisi (2020, 530) analyzed “theimplications of proficiency in the English language on the learners’ pronunciation in terms oftesting.” This research was conducted among undergraduate students in South-West, Nigeria.
ENGLISH PROFICIENCY AND ADJUSTMENT TO UNIVERSITY LIFE 4The study suggested that the mean value of the English language proficiency of the students was66.36%, while their pronunciation scores were 74.21% and thus, they had above averageperformance. As such, the scholars indicated that there was an appreciable positive correlationbetween English language competency and the students’ performance.Coniam, Falvey and Xiao (2017, 115) investigated “the impact on the English dialectteaching vocation of Hong Kong of the language competency analysis for English teachers”. Thestudy revealed the existence of a positive correlation between the Lexical CompetencyAssessment for Teachers English (LPATE) and the teaching of the English dialect as a vocation.As such, the incorporation of the Lexical Proficiency Assessment for Teachers English (LPATE)was founded to be necessary as it helped in maintaining, setting and raising the standards of theproficiency of the English language, as well as, creating awareness to the stakeholders thatEnglish teachers mandated to possess high standards concerning the English dialect. Thecompetency of the English dialect for this study was measured using a Likert scale.1.1.2.Adjustment to University LifeAccording to Rahat and Ilhan (2016), adjustment to university life refers to getting usedto life at the university, being able to socialize with others and being able to move freely withinthe campus without getting lost. For example, if one can be able to form friends within thecampus, know where his or her classes are or the library and know where the auditorium is, he orshe would be said to have adjusted to his or her university life. Wintre and Yaffe (2000, 9) identified adjustment to university life in order to understandthe contributions that the perceived style of parenting, psychological wellbeing and relationshipwith parents had on the adjustment to university life of the first years. The study by Wintre andYaffe (2000, 9) discovered that discussions with parents and guardians, reciprocity that is mutualand the psychological wellbeing of the students had a positive relationship with their adjustment
ENGLISH PROFICIENCY AND ADJUSTMENT TO UNIVERSITY LIFE 5to their university lives. Besides, the study by Wintre and Yaffe (2000, 9) demonstrated theexistence of a positive link, though indirect, between the adjustment to university life andauthoritative parenting. For instance, when the parent tells the child that they focus on learningand not socializing at school, this would significantly influence their adjustment to universitylife. Nel, Govender and Tom (2016, 384) studied “the academic and social changeexperiences of first year learners at a factually disadvantaged peri-urban university in SouthAfrica”. The study discovered that the first year students had both negative and positiveadjustments experiences to the university life. Their positive academic experiences comprisedfinancial and academic supported, whereas their adverse academic experiences to university lifeincluded workload, unsupportive lecturers and lack of accommodation in school (Nel, Governderand Tom, 2016, 384). In terms of social adjustment experiences, their positive ones comprisedemotional independence and social support, while their negative social ones comprisedhomesickness, social isolation and disintegration. Kusumaningsih (2016, 30) identified “the role of social anxiety on the college change ofsophomore students”. The study by Kusumaningsih (2016, 30) found that the fear of negativeevaluation had a relationship or link with the personal, academic and emotional adjustment of thefirst year college students. However, it did not have a link with their institutional and socialadjustment. Al-Katib, Awamleh and Samawi (2012, 7) studied “the adjustment of the students tocollege life at Albalqa Applied University”. The results and findings of the study suggested thatthe degree of adjustment of the students to the university life was moderate and thus, there wasno statistical difference on the scale of adjustment attributed to gender, interactions, college andthe level of study.
ENGLISH PROFICIENCY AND ADJUSTMENT TO UNIVERSITY LIFE 6Sevinc and Gizir (2014) investigated “the factors negatively affecting the change touniversity life of the sophomore students in Mersin University”. The study revealed that therewere various elements that had undesirable effects on the fine-tuning of the sophomore students.Mainly, their academic adjustment to university life was negatively impacted with therelationships that they had with the faculty and the quality of teaching that they were exposed towhile at Mersin University. In terms of the social adjustment, it was negatively influenced bytheir participation in recreational activities, relationships with their friends and their managementof their leisure time. In addition to this, the study by Sevinc and Gizir (2014) revealed that otherindividual factors had an influence on the academic and social adjustment of the learners to thecampus life. These included loneliness, homesickness and fear of failure or disapproval bysociety or even their parents. On the other hand, the institutional elements that influenced thesocial and academic of the learners to the university life comprised sense of identity andbelonging to a university. Various researchers have studied the effect of adjustment to university life of thestudents. Lipka, Sarid, Aharoni Zorach, Bufman, Hagag and Peretz (2020, 923) studied“adjustment to higher education while performing a contrast of learners with or without physicalor mental disabilities”. The results and findings by Lipka, Sarid, Aharoni Zorach, Bufman,Hagag and Peretz (2020, 923) indicated that those students with disabilities had loweradjustments to university life when compared to those students that did not have disabilities. Mutambara and Bhebe (2012) analyzed the “factors affecting the adjustment of studentsat a Zimbabwe university”. The findings of this research found that to a larger extent, thestudents from the college in Zimbabwe were failing to adjustment to the college life due to thesocio-economic conditions that were prevailing at that time in Zimbabwe. Wayt (2012) analyzed
ENGLISH PROFICIENCY AND ADJUSTMENT TO UNIVERSITY LIFE 7“the influence of the social and academic relationships of the students on the college learnerperseverance”. The results revealed that those students who persisted through collected hadpositive influences on the decisions to persist, as well as, positive experiences on their collegelives and interactions at school. Besides, the findings of this study by Wayt (2012) showed thatoverall, the students had positive interactions both on and off campus and this significantlyinfluenced their persistence decisions. Despite this, these relationships were mostly sociallyassociated such that those students that had friends and family at campus had a stronger impacton their persistence choices at the university than those that only went to the university to learn.In other words, the study by Wayt (2012) suggested that human relationships at the college tendto positively influence the adjustment to university life, as well as, the persistence of the studentsat the college. Jean (2010) studied “the academic and social adjustment of the first generation learnersto college life”. The results and findings from the survey revealed that those students whoobtained less than a grade point average of 2.0 were able to highlight the dynamics thatundermined their academic and social change to university life. Conversely, Haktanir, Watson,Ermis-Demirtas, Karaman, Freeman, Kumaran and Streeter (2018, 1521025118810666) focusedon “pliability, academic college change and self-concept among the sophomore students”.Ideally, the study discovered that academic resilience and self-concept positively predicted theembracement of the sophomore learners to the university life. Similarly, the tuning to campuslife in this research was measured using a Likert scale. 1.1.3.English Language Proficiency and Adjustment to University LifeMany scholars have placed an emphasis and significant attention on the impact of thecompetency of the English dialect on the adjustment to university life. Alharbu and Yakout(2018, 5) studied “the effect of English dialect competency on academic excellence of nursing
ENGLISH PROFICIENCY AND ADJUSTMENT TO UNIVERSITY LIFE 8students articulating English as a second language”. The findings revealed that 43% of theparticipants experienced challenges in understanding English, 68% encountered issues instudying English and approximately 47% were uncomfortable to speak the language of English.In addition to this, the study by Alharbu and Yakout (2018, 5) discovered that 71 percent of therespondents had low ELAS scores.Andrade (2009, 16) investigated “the impacts of the English language competency ontuning to campus life”. The study found that the students were generally satisfied with theirEnglish dialect competency and they appreciated it as a second language. Nonetheless, they feltthey felt that their English language proficiency needed to be improved through social interactionand course work. Additionally, the professors and lecturers felt that the skills of the studentswere adequate, but they needed to be improved and thus, adjusting their approaches to teachingcould go a long way in improving the competency of the learners to the English dialect.Martirosyan, Kwang and Wanjohi (2015, 60) studied “the impact of the English dialectcompetency on the academic excellence of the international learners”. The empirical results andoutcomes of this research demonstrated that there were appreciable differences between theEnglish language competency and multilingualism in terms of the academic excellence of theuniversity and the college students. Specifically, the study by Martirosyan, Kwang and Wanjohi(2015, 60) reported the highest GPAs in those students that had high proficiency in the Englishdialect and those who spoke at least three dialects. Xu (1991, 557) analyzed “the influence of the English dialect competency on theperceived learning difficulty of the global graduate students”. The study demonstrated that theself-rated lexical competency was the most vital predictor of the perceived level of academic
End of preview
Want to access all the pages? Upload your documents or become a member.
Related Documents
Curriculum Development: Constraints and Resourceslg...
|6
|1187
|463
ENGL 086 Academic Advanced Reading for ESL Studentslg...
|7
|1801
|116
Challenges Faced by International ESL Students in US Universitieslg...
|7
|1801
|172
Depression Among International Studentslg...
|8
|1783
|217
Challenges and Strategies for Effective Communication in Studying Abroad: A Guide for UK Students in Chinalg...
|2
|617
|301
Developing Undergraduate Research in Abroadlg...
|5
|875
|371