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Browsing by Author "Ene, Estela"
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Item Book review of Feedback in Second Language Writing: Contexts and Issues Edited by Ken Hyland and Fiona Hyland (2nd edition)(Elsevier, 2020-04) Ene, Estela; World Languages and Cultures, School of Liberal ArtsItem Creating engaging discussions online(Lucian Blaga University Publishing House, 2022) Ene, Estela; Padilla, DiegoItem Developing an ESL Tutoring Center and Expanding Operations Online(2021) Ene, Estela; Sadri, Raeeka; English, School of Liberal ArtsA tutoring center offers students the additional support they need to develop as language learners and function well in U.S. academia. In this article, we describe the development of an ESL Tutoring Center and provide tips for tutoring students online.Item Developing an ESL tutoring center and expanding operations online(TESOL, 2021) Ene, Estela; Sadri, RaeekaItem Developmental Stages in Advanced SLA: A Corpus-Based Analysis of Academic Writing by ESL Graduate Students(2008) Ene, EstelaSecond Language Acquisition (SLA) researchers have yet to map the developmental stages language learners go through as they approach the target language. In studies of English as a Second Language (ESL) writing, the term 'advanced learner' has been applied indiscriminately to learners ranging from freshman ESL composition to graduate students. There is a need to examine the advanced stages of SLA in order to refine SLA theories and pedagogical approaches. A corpus of texts written by non-native English-speaking doctoral students in applied linguistics from several linguistic backgrounds was analyzed to determine the texts' lexical, morphological and syntactic fluency, accuracy and complexity. A sub-corpus of papers by native-English-speaking peers was used for comparison. The texts were strictly-timed and loosely-timed exams written 2 to 3 years apart. Surveys and interviews were also conducted. Based on findings, the study defines data-based criteria that distinguish four quantitatively and qualitatively distinct developmental stages: the advanced, highly advanced, near-native, and native-like stages. Advanced learners make more frequent and varied errors which can be explained by transfer from the first language. Native-like writers make few errors that can be explained by overgeneralization of conventions from informal English and working memory limitations (similar to native speakers' errors). The study suggests that SLA is a process of transfer followed by relearning of morpho-syntactic specifications (Herschensohn, 2000), with syntax being used with the greatest accuracy (Bardovi-Harlig & Bofman, 1989) and lexicon with the least. The relationships between accuracy and other social and cognitive factors are considered, and pedagogical recommendations are made.Item Does everyone write five-paragraph essays?(University of Michigan Press, 2019) Connor, Ulla; Ene, EstelaThis chapter considers and provides evidence-based answers to several important questions: How widely is the five-paragraph essay really taught around the world, in English-speaking countries, other first languages, and EFL classes? What circumstances surround its adoption or rejection? What values and ideologies are passed on through the teaching of the five-paragraph essay, to what effect, and how can we show students what lies beyond the curtain of the five-paragraph formula? Before examining EFL contexts, we should first note that the five-paragraph essay is not taught everywhere in English-speaking countries. In the U.S., “the essay”--very loosely labeled--is taught or assigned most frequently, and it encompasses almost any multi-paragraph written text (as also mentioned in Caplan, Tardy, and Johns in this volume and Melzer, 2014). Often, various assignment types (e.g., research paper, essay, report) (Johns, 2011) are conflated under the “essay” category based on perceived shared structural features (Tardy, this volume).Item EFL Writing in Romania: Reflections on Present and Future(Brill, 2020) Ene, Estela; Sparks, Sydney; World Languages and Cultures, School of Liberal ArtsMany global contexts remain largely unexplored, and thus unable to inform the shaping of an accurate picture or theory of second language (L2) writing around the world. Romania is such a context. This study investigates the attitudes and perceptions of 52 in-service K-12 English teachers from Romania, and represents an expansion of prior research conducted by the researcher. Using a survey, data were collected about the teachers’ attitudes and perceptions about EFL writing in Romania. The findings illustrate the teachers’ persistent positive attitudes towards the English language and English-speaking countries/cultures as well as further need for professional development in the area of pedagogy and EFL writing.Item Grammatical Accuracy and Learner Autonomy in Advanced ESL Writing(2006-05) Vickers, Caroline; Ene, EstelaThis paper aims to explore advanced ESL learners' ability to make improvements in grammatical accuracy by autonomously noticing and correcting their own grammatical errors. In the recent literature in SLA, it is suggested that classroom tasks can be used to foster autonomous language learning habits (c.f., Dam 2001). Therefore, it is important to consider classroom tasks that encourage autonomous language learning behavior. Working with 13 advanced ESL composition students, we engaged the subjects in an explicit task in which they compared their own use of grammatical form in their own written output to the use of grammatical form as used in a text written by a native speaker. Based on the comparison between their own written output and the native speaker text, subjects subsequently corrected their grammatical errors. Results suggest that such a comparison task is beneficial in allowing learners to make gains in grammatical accuracy.Item How does that make you feel: Student engagement with feedback(2021) Ene, Estela; Yao, JennyItem Intensive Reflection in Teacher Training: What is it Good For?(2015) Ene, Estela; Riddlebarger, Cassidy; Department of English, School of Liberal ArtsThe merits of reflective exercises in teacher training are well known. Reflection through journals, surveys/questionnaires, action research, or supervised teaching and classroom discussion creates opportunities for teachers in training to think critically of what they do in their classes, why they do it, and how they could improve. Sometimes, however, teacher training programs may not be ideally positioned to offer novice student teachers (NSTs) the most extensive and coordinated opportunities for teaching, observation, and reflection. The current study examines the usefulness of an intensive reflective exercise realized as a two-question questionnaire used in a Second Language Writing (SLW) course. The findings indicate that the questionnaire was useful in eliciting a fair amount of critical thinking and integration of prior knowledge, new content, and personal experience. For the teacher trainer, it worked as a tool for assessing student learning and planning lessons. The study reflects on the limitations of the intensive reflection exercise applied in it (such as brevity and isolation from other assignments), and makes pedagogical recommendations for future implementation.