Nor Fazlin Mohd Ramli
University of Technology MARA, Department of English Language, Department Member
Writing is seen as a social cognitive process by the writer and teaching it will have to focus on the social context. Writers write so that their ideas can be conveyed and understood by their readers. This means writers write with the... more
Writing is seen as a social cognitive process by the writer and teaching it will have to focus on the social context. Writers write so that their ideas can be conveyed and understood by their readers. This means writers write with the audience in mind-all the time. Different writers address their audience in different ways. The objective of this research is to explore the strategies used by different types of ESL writers to address their audience. Specifically, this case study focuses on the audience awareness strategies through the use of interactive and interactional discourse. Two writers were used as subjects in this qualitative study. Both qualitative and quantitative data were analysed. Findings reveal different writers use different metadiscourse to communicate with their audience. Results of this study bear interesting implications in the teaching and learning of academic writing in the ESL classroom.
Research Interests:
Oral presentations have become part of many course assessments. During presentations, presenters use verbal and non-verbal cues. Learners Nonverbal cues are used either directly or indirectly by presenters to express their feelings... more
Oral presentations have become part of many course assessments. During presentations, presenters use verbal and non-verbal cues. Learners Nonverbal cues are used either directly or indirectly by presenters to express their feelings towards the oral presentation. Some common nonverbal cues often used are kinesics and vocalic. Kinesics is derived from the word "kinesics" which means "movement" and refer to the hands, legs, body and facial movements. Vocalic is the study of voice and it is used to address a message for example like the tone of voice This study is done to explore the influence of kinesics and vocalic in ESL orang presentation among ESL learners. 30 undergraduates responded to a questionnaire about how they perceive the use of kinesics and vocalics in oral presentations. Findings revealed ESL learners used a variety of nonverbal cues in their presentation for different reasons in their presentations. The results of this study bear interesting pedagogical implications for classroom teaching and learning of ESL oral presentations.
Research Interests:
Today, there are countless study materials, printed or online, available in the market. Nevertheless, not all the materials are suitable to the learners' need in terms of learning contents, material presentation and especially learning... more
Today, there are countless study materials, printed or online, available in the market. Nevertheless, not all the materials are suitable to the learners' need in terms of learning contents, material presentation and especially learning styles. However, with properly customized learning materials, educators will be able to provide their learners with better learning activities and more personalized learning opportunities. In this study, the Felder and Silverman Learning Style Model (FSLSM), is proposed as a probable learning solution for developing the most appropriate and feasible technology-based or self-learning environment. The purpose of using this solution is to cater the different learners' learning styles. A research question was asked on what learning style(s) is/are preferred by the full-time (FT) and distance-learning (ePJJ) learners. An online Index of Learning Styles (ILS) questionnaire was employed as a measuring instrument. A total of 55 learners from two classes, FT and ePJJ at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Shah Alam participated in the study during the Sept-Dec 2013 session. The findings reveal that majority are active, sensing, visual and sequential learners. The implication of this study supports the notion that learners' learning styles can affect their success in language learning. Hence, language instructors, who address their learners' learning styles, can provide their learners with a more effective learning environment.
Research Interests:
Most educational institutions utilize Learning Management Systems (LMSs) as learning and teaching portal for online learning programmes. It is a system that allows the institution to manage and monitor instructors, learners and content of... more
Most educational institutions utilize Learning Management Systems (LMSs) as learning and teaching portal for online learning programmes. It is a system that allows the institution to manage and monitor instructors, learners and content of courses. Nonetheless, due to this relatively new learning environment, most online teaching methods have not yet incorporated pedagogic principles in which could lead to ineffective teaching thus resulting in unsuccessful learning. In Second Language teaching and learning, it is crucial for instructors to understand and utilize this system for online language learning. Although, the LMS may provide the tools and features that could support teaching in an online learning environment, the lack of instructors' understanding of an LMS environment may prevent learning from taking place. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the instructors' perception of using LMS (i-Class) in teaching, particularly English as a Second Language (ESL) online reading for adult learners of Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Shah Alam, Malaysia. Active and less active instructors were interviewed. This qualitative study revealed that the instructors' perceptions are mainly positive towards integrating the system in teaching online reading, specifi cally encouraging
Research Interests:
This study reports the analysis of academic essays using the use of interactive and interactional discourse.