Tesis – Maestría en Pedagogía del Inglés como Lengua Extranjera (Sin Restricción)

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Open Access
Intonation of questions and requests in lower intermediate adult EFL students
(PUCE - Quito, 2021) Vaca Barragán, Diana Alejandra; Dragosavljevich Garzón, Milica Margarita
This paper investigates the intonation of questions and requests produced by 10 adult lower intermediate EFL students. The aim of this study is to identify and analyze the most common intonation mistakes. It is significant to study the current state of intonation in order to propose methodological activities to improve specific intonation problems. In fact, the study compares the pitch contours of two questions and two requests produced by native speakers with the intonation of EFL learners. This descriptive study concluded that: the learners seem not to be aware of pitch contours and the function of intonation patterns; and that the L1 influences the production of the L2. These results suggest that some technological tools such as Praat can be used in the process of teaching and learning intonation.
Open Access
Implications of teaching english idioms to L2 learners through digital gamification at a public school
(PUCE - Quito, 2021) Portilla Ayala, Oscar Roberto; Dragosavljevich Garzón, Milica Margarita
The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of teaching English idioms through the use of digital gamification on students who are learning English as a second language at a public school. Sixty students and eight English teachers from the school participated in this research. The students were divided into two groups, a control group and an experimental group with 30 students each. Pre-tests and post-tests were applied to the participants in both study groups. For this descriptive study, both quantitative and qualitative methods were used. Several scientific instruments were applied to collect data as well as observations and analyses of the recorded classes by the teachers who participated in the study were carried out. After the discussion and analysis of the results, it was possible to conclude that the use of methodologies based on gamification positively impacts the learning of English idioms in students of the public institution. This study suggests that the application of gamification for teaching idioms has favorable results in student learning It was determined that learning methods through digital games motivate both students and teachers, making students acquire and use idiomatic expressions in their everyday language. After concluding the investigation, several recommendations for future studies were raised, mainly concerning a larger sample to obtain reliable results and additional tests at different times after the experimentation. On this basis, observations in-person classes and use combined teaching methods should be used to verify which is the most effective method for teaching English idioms.
Open Access
Tongue twisters as a strategy to enhance the pronunciation of lexicon of senior students
(PUCE - Quito, 2021) Reinoso Pinto, Maribel Alexandra; Dragosavljevich Garzón, Milica Margarita
Communicative skills have been considered essential when giving and receiving information or establishing effective communication. For this reason, pronunciation has been considered the core of this research using tongue twisters as a strategy to strengthen the skill. Quasiexperimental - explanatory research and qualitative and quantitative methods were applied to collect information to support and validate the study from the student and teacher perspectives. 27 seniors’ students (18 men and 9 women) between the ages of 16 and 17 participated in the research, all native Spanish speakers with a B1 level of English. This research allowed to raise awareness among students and teachers about the importance of proper pronunciation of words in the English language, applying tongue twisters and repetition through active thinking as a strategy. This study was carried out in 8 weeks in the 2020-2021 school year in a private school, the classes were synchronous on Zoom sessions, 4 hours per week. The Instruments that supported the research in a significant way were PRAAT (a computerized software that analyzes speech) and the IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet). The process included a pre-and postexam. which were compared and analyzed statistically in the Excel program, obtaining important results and discoveries for the project. The tests and materials, as well as the tongue twisters applied in the study, were analyzed according to the needs of the students by the researcher in specific phonemes (minimal pairs) / p /, / b /, / f /, / v / in the lexicon.
Open Access
Interactive vocabulary learning strategies for intermediate EFL students
(PUCE - Quito, 2021) Proaño Merizalde, Ana Lucía; Gavilanes Jijón, Christian Geovanny
This research presents the proposal Interactive Vocabulary Learning Strategies for Intermediate EFL students. This proposal has the participation of four students who attend the third year of International Baccalaureate from a public school at North of Quito. The objective of this proposal is to get students to learn English vocabulary through the implementation of interactive vocabulary strategies. The research used in this proposal is quasi-experimental. First, students took a pretest to identify the students’ vocabulary knowledge level. The mean got in this test is 17.5. After that, six interactive vocabulary strategies were applied. Students worked with Comic Pixton, Educaplay, Flipped classroom, Wordart, Flipgrid, and Vocabulary Dictation. Students received three sessions per week, which facilitated the application of all interactive vocabulary strategies. Finally, students took a post-test with the aim of proving if the strategies worked and if the students learn new vocabulary with these interactive strategies. The mean corresponds to this test is 22.5. According to the post-test results, students learned English vocabulary through interactive vocabulary strategies. Students increased a 25.7% in their vocabulary English level. The objective was accomplished in this research. This proposal motivates teachers and students to continue working in an interactive way and acquire new learnings with the implementation of new strategies.
Open Access
Surface acting in the classroom affecting public ecuadorian english teachers in a Facebook Group
(PUCE - Quito, 2021) Gavilánez Congacha, Jorge Luis; De Angelis, Adeline Jenny
The purpose of this paper is to show the exhaustion of teachers caused by surface acting that teachers feel in their everyday activities and the health problems that it causes when applying it in the class. This investigation shows different points of view of teachers when giving classes related to surface acting, health and stress. This descriptive investigation uses qualitative and quantitative methods applied through a survey and focus group, both applied to Ecuadorian Public English Teachers. This paper shows that teachers are suppressing their real feelings when giving classes and students’ interaction is an important feature that affects teachers negatively but mostly positively. Survey and focus group results show that surface acting has a close relation that ends in teachers’ exhaustion and sometimes serious health problems. Results show that teachers have ideas that can help reduce surface acting that mostly depend on authorities. This is the first time that an investigation of surface acting is applied to Ecuadorian Public English Teachers and it could be the beginning of future investigations that will help reduce surface acting in the class. This study recommends authorities by teachers’ comments to pay attention to teachers’ health caused by surface acting.
Open Access
Structured input grammar activities for penultimate year students at Fernández Madrid High School
(PUCE - Quito, 2021) Riofrío Salazar, Evelyn Esdrey; Dragosavljevich Garzón, Milica Margarita
This quasi-experimental research was conducted to determine the effectiveness of structured input grammar activities on students in their penultimate year at Fernández Madrid High School, during the school year 2020-2021. Pre-tests applied to 70 students of penultimate year showed a low level of grammar competence in topics as present perfect, tag questions, passive voice, used to and second conditional. Structured input grammar activities were incorporated in the experimental group of 35 students, while conventional strategies were applied in the control group of 35 individuals. There were 25 interventions of forty minutes in total to introduce input activities such as binary options, surveys, supplying information, matching, selecting alternatives, ordering, and ranking to facilitate the internalization of linguistic forms. The process culminated with a post-test to experimental and control group to compare and analyze the grades of both groups. The results demonstrated that a better average was achieved in the group to which structured input grammar activities were incorporated. In consequence, the incorporation of structured grammar activities has had significant impact on grammar competence of students.
Open Access
Analysis of errors in spoken production of french L3 learners of level A2 at a private school in Quito
(PUCE - Quito, 2021) Erazo Jiménez, Rodrigo Javier; Matts, Janine Marie
The present study deals with the issue of exploring the possible sources for the most frequent errors in oral production of teenage learners of French who are Spanish native speakers and have also received instruction in English. To attain this objective, online oral interactions of 15 students of a private school of Quito and their teacher in an interview-like setting have been transcribed and analyzed in search of errors. The quantitative data evidenced the most frequent ones which subsequently underwent a qualitative analysis. It consisted of a description of the errors and ultimately, a formulation of hypotheses on their possible causes. The results show that the most frequent types of erroneous production have to do with form rather than content and do not represent a major impediment to communication. As for their causes, the detected errors seem to have their origin not only on the interference of the first or second language, but also on overgeneralization and oversimplification of the rules of the target language. The existence of a combination of several features or sources was also deemed possible.
Open Access
Developing EFL teacher’s identity: the role of EFL teachers in the classroom
(PUCE - Quito, 2021) Ramírez Basantes, Raúl Sebastián; Dragosavljevich Garzón, Miliça Margarita
Early teaching and student experiences act as cultural references for English as a Foreign Language teachers. Tools and strategies are articulated in the form of roles, which are constantly tested and negotiated within the classroom, modeling the EFL teacher’s identity. The following is a case study on three EFL teacher’s identity development from the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador. The presence of roles related to EFL teaching was identified through a semi-participant observation and compiled in an observation grid. Observed tools and strategies origin was deepened in the transcription of interviews based on life stories, using a biographical methodology. The use of Socializing / Empathizing skills from the Acculturator role were present in codeswitch using an Ecuadorian pitch, aimed to deal with emotional transactions in the class successfully. Previous working experiences allowed teachers to find strategies to incorporate EFL teaching roles with low emotional labor. Role models from the family and working context played a crucial role in the integration of emotional tools to negotiate roles within the class with low emotional labor.
Open Access
Structured input activities to teach sentence patterns in past tense to A1 level students
(PUCE - Quito, 2021) Rodríguez Mora, Jefferson Fabián; Vásquez Naranjo, Alejandra Nathaly
La investigación tuvo como objetivo analizar, en una amplitud cuasi inclusiva, los tipos de actividades de input estructurado que ayudan en el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje de patrones de oraciones en pasado simple. La investigación utilizó un diseño experimental. Se reclutaron doce estudiantes para esta investigación y seis de ellos fueron enviados al grupo de estudio. A este grupo se enseñó mediante el uso de actividades afectivas como ordenar y clasificar, seleccionar alternativas, opciones binarias y encuestas. Estas actividades proporcionan información suficiente ya que los estudiantes trabajan con la forma gramatical meta mientras procesan e interiorizan el significado de la oración. Se utilizaron actividades de preprueba, posprueba, grabaciones de audio y escritas para medir el aprendizaje del tiempo gramatical pasado simple. Los resultados sugirieron que las actividades de input estructurado eran responsables de la mayor parte de la mejora de los estudiantes. Sin embargo, la gramática explícita no debe dejarse atrás, ya que los estudiantes aún cometen errores al usar inflexiones -ed / d. Del mismo modo, las actividades de input estructurado podrían necesitar ayuda de la gramática explícita entrelazada con un enfoque comunicativo o basado en el significado.
Open Access
Interactive apeaking activities to strengthen oral interaction and accurate Wh-question intonation in A1 EFL students
(PUCE - Quito, 2021) Paucar Sangoquiza, Verónica Pilar; Vásquez Naranjo, Alejandra Nathaly
For many years, students try to learn English as a foreign language since they are kids until they become adults in Ecuador, but the speaking abilities are not developed in an effective way because the students are exposed to mechanical drills where they do not acquire the English language in order to be used as a tool to establish oral communication. I decided to apply this research due to the lack of oral interaction and intonation in wh-questions during the English class process. This project was focused on A1 level - eight graders- of a private high school in Quito where there are students with difficulties when they attempt to communicate their thoughts or ideas which need to be solved in order to strengthen the oral interaction. In order to succeed in this project, video recordings, teacher’s observation and a survey were used to show that interactive speaking activities such as a video, a game and a song help them speak, participate, have fun and interact during the teaching process. In addition, they felt relaxed, motivated and excited when they had to work in pairs or groups.
Open Access
Speaking anxiety in young EFL ecuadorian students
(PUCE - Quito, 2021) Ocaña Ramos, Diana Elizabeth; Dragosavljevich Garzón, Milica Margarita
This paper aims to determine the causes of speaking anxiety among EFL teenagers from Unidad Educativa Municipal Quitumbe. Teenage learners are influenced by different types of feelings during adolescence due to the specific psycho-physiological changes of this age group. Therefore, teachers must be incredibly careful on how foreign language anxiety negatively influences the personality of learners from the point of view of their character and confidence building. According to the surveys administered during this investigation, most of the students find it difficult to learn, understand and use the foreign language. This phenomenon is the result of the interaction of several factors, which is why, it is paramount to identify the causes of foreign language anxiety, particularly in speaking for it is in the communicative act where anxiety is most visible. To obtain the data, it was considered necessary to make use of the previously used and tested Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS), which was taken into consideration as guide. The findings present a high level of speaking anxiety in the foreign language class due to the poor knowledge of verbal and non-verbal skills (See in results pgs. 12-18). This paper suggests that further research about this phenomenon within Ecuadorian students is of the highest importance.
Open Access
English vocabulary learning strategies for an ESP tattooing course
(PUCE - Quito, 2021) Arízala Quinto, Miguel Ángel; Curiel Ávila, Adriana Beatriz
The aim of this research is to explore the vocabulary world that lies behind the art “street” of tattooing. With the purpose of setting a frame of leaning strategies capable of trespassing the aforementioned lexis in a suitable and academic way to a group of EFL learners. The methodology has a descriptive character and the population taken into consideration for the development of this project was the artists from the different tattoo studios in the city. The terminology used by them in their field of work was collected through a structured interview which was once outlined within categories in order to be taught weekly through the staging of various vocabulary learning strategies. The results indicate that these strategies can be used, as long as they are adapted to the specific needs of each group. It is concluded then, that there is in fact a specific jargon within the world of tattooing and that the limited number of courses offered, creates a fertile field that could be exploited in the future with the purpose of academicizing the urban art of tattooing and all the lexicon that this entails.
Open Access
Thought-based superior speaking: an EAP higher-order thinking course designed to accelerate the spoken language proficiency of advanced EFL students
(PUCE - Quito, 2021) Melsada Frame, Sharon; Monteros Altamirano, Ivanova Mercedes
A growing demand for English proficiency in the global economic sphere has accelerated the pace of EFL learning, especially in functional, spoken language skill competence. The purpose of the study is to investigate the need for an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) course design that fast-tracks the speaking proficiency skills of advanced L2 learners by cultivating their higher order thinking. Using mixed-method analysis, the research examined a general English Superior Speaking course I piloted two years ago to determine how it could be restructured to create an effective EAP speaking course by integrating metacognition to accelerate students’ verbal language skills. The probe explores ways to turbocharge the students from rote learners to cognitive thinkers to metacognitive strategists. This way, they become self-directed, autonomous scholars who use functional language to plan, evaluate, and monitor their own mental and verbal intelligence. Results of numerous task-based, higher order thinking activities were measured to assess the potential success of such a unique EAP course. Also, audio, video and written testimonials from participating students were found to attribute dynamic improvement in their thinking and speaking skills to the metacognitive teaching approaches I experimented with in my current Superior Speaking class, and now proposed for the EAP course. The study definitively offers credence to the notion of an EAP public speaking course that uses higher order thinking to boost advanced EFL students’ speaking prowess. Further study is needed to explore ways the causal relationship between higher order thinking and higher order speaking can be further developed in L2 students well after the EAP class ends, and to investigate how these students can perpetuate their own self-ditermined language acquisition.
Open Access
Error analysis of subject verb agreement in present simple third person singular on written sentences with A2.2 EFL students
(PUCE - Quito, 2021) Torres Merino, José Fabián; Vásquez Naranjo, Alejandra Nathaly
This research is aimed at analyzing the written subject-verb agreement (SVA) errors in present simple in third person singular made by high school students to know the possible sources for these errors and design or plan the most appropriate input to support students to overcome these difficulties. The corpus for this study comprises 15 participants and 366 writing samples obtained from the tasks responses to identify, classify, quantify, and determine the possible sources of errors. The methodology was conducted through a descriptive research design, and it was focused on the qualitative and quantitative approaches. Later, the collected errors were classified conforming to Dulay, Burt, and Krashen's (1982) Surface Strategy Taxonomy, which gathers errors with omission, addition, misformation, and misordering. Likewise, the analysis of the results to know the possible sources for these errors is based on prominent studies from specialists in this field. The results reveal that the most common error that students make deals with misformation, followed by omission and misordering errors, whereas addition is the least frequent error; thus, most of the errors are intralingual as the students apply rules inadequately or incompletely. Further, other errors are interlingual since the errors committed by the participants are from the negative transfer of their mother language. Lastly, the context of learning is another significant source of error considered in this paper. Based on the information, teachers could detect students' needs and design the most effective and optimal input to overcome this issue from the results.
Open Access
Error analysis of english articles and pedagogical implications for EFL students
(PUCE - Quito, 2022) Pilapaña Anaguano, Carina Beatriz; Moscoso Loaiza, Rosana
The present research analyzes the frequency of errors that 40 adult English learners and 11 English teachers make in the use of English articles. It investigates the different types of errors (addition, omission, and selection) and the sources (interlingual and intralingual). For data collection, a test with writing, speaking, and grammar sections were conducted for this research. For teachers, a grammar and writing a paragraph task was administered. Following the conventions of Error Analysis (EA) and Contrastive Analysis (CA), this study found that adult learners face problems in using articles that deserve attention, especially in the definite article, which often appears where zero article is required to have well structure utterances. In errors of the addition category, transfer of the mother language was found as the primary source of the identified errors for students and teachers. Errors behind the Intralingual source disclose a low level of occurrence. Due to the features of these errors, count and non-count nouns in different contexts need to be timely taught to reduce the misuse of articles. Based on the results, some pedagogical implications are put forward to help teachers and students improve the acquisition of articles.
Open Access
Buzz Group methodology to improve the english pronunciation skills for A1 students
(PUCE - Quito, 2022) Vallejo Delgado, Alberto Esteban; Serrano Prato, Gabriela Petruska
This study presents a methodological proposal based on cooperative learning, with the use of the Buzz Group strategy, which motivates students to develop oral expression skills in small groups. The general objective of the work was to determine the incidence of the Buzz Group strategy to achieve a clear pronunciation in English from a high school student group during the 2021 school year. A qualitative approach at a descriptive and exploratory level was applied. Pre and post-intervention tests were designed from which the main data related to pronunciation and the use of the Buzz Group strategy were obtained. Where the impact of this strategy on English pronunciation was observed, bridging the gap between strategic learning and pronunciation in the communicative language teaching approach. The study recommends paying greater attention to pronunciation and the use of active and cooperative strategies which comprehensively improve the learning of a foreign language.
Open Access
Grammar focused activities to improve writing production: an error analysis study
(PUCE - Quito, 2022) Latacunga Freire, Gabriel Agustín; Gavilanes Jijón, Christian Geovanny
The current study aims to help tenth grade EFL students in Cumbaya, Ecuador, reduce morpho-syntactic errors in their writing skills at an A2 level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Firstly, a pre-test was given to 40 tenth grade learners to identify and classify morpho-syntactic errors. In the first writing prompt, participants were asked to write an email answering 3 questions. In the second writing prompt, they were asked to write a brief story of the objects that they had in 3 separate images. The most common morpho-syntactic errors that the pre-test revealed are: word order, subject verb agreement, Morpheme/word Omission, Morpheme/word addition. Second, learners were given grammar-focused activities for two months to help them make less morpho-syntactic errors. These activities were based on the errors they made on the pretest. Third, the students took a test after the two-month program to see if they had made less morpho-syntactic errors. The researcher found that the post-test showed a big drop in errors. The post-test gave the researcher information about how the tenth graders' writing skills had improved by the end of the program. The study has implications for teaching because it can help teachers come up with ways to improve their students' writing skills.
Open Access
Problem-solving speaking activities to develop critical thinking skills in B1 EFL students
(PUCE - Quito, 2022) Encalada Neira, Jenny Marisol; Harutyunyan, Liliya
Learning a second language is among the leading factors in modern-day communities that help unite people from different backgrounds (Mehta & Mehta, 2019). Learners with additional needs are likely to express different levels of understanding of the offered context. Based on the complexity of some languages, it is worth noting that there are unique approaches that can assist the learners in quickly understanding the various aspects of the secondary language. Learners' creativity plays a vital role in determining their connection to the second language. Since some languages differ from the primary languages, teachers can create unique ways that may allow the learners to easily connect some aspects of the language and change their attitude towards the respective language. Critical thinking among the learners connects to the ability to make the right decisions for solving some of the problems that may directly affect them (Dolapcioglu & Doğanay, 2022). Based on the different forms of challenges that may influence one's language acquisition, their interaction and connection to the environment are always needed to make the right improvement. Critical thinking allows most learners to critically analyze a specific situation and decide on the most effective approach that may address the individual case and assist in attaining their educational objectives. Although there are several ways that learners can be encouraged to understand the context of a new language, it is worth noting that giving the learners a chance to solve the problems they go through quickly is a meaningful way to realize this objective. This research aims to assess the influence and connection between problem-solving communication in learners struggling with second language acquisition. Through the findings of this study, it will be relatively easy to create unique ways to improve the learners' overall understanding.
Open Access
“My Virtual Oratory”: a means to acquire british vocabulary communicatively
(PUCE - Quito, 2022) Castillo Navarrete, Anita Dorlenny; Matts, Janine Marie
This research describes the application of a gamified methodology through the use of technological tools using virtual lessons. These are aimed at teaching British vocabulary to students in the fourth year of Basic Education in the primary section of a Catholic School in Quito. They are candidates for taking the international Movers exam, and it is expected they will obtain the A1 level of English, according to the Common European Framework’s standards. The main objective is to complement the preparation of the students through an academic course that exposes them to the most common British words they will face in the test. Games and technology are used to increase the participants’ intrinsic motivation to obtain better results in the teaching-learning process. The dare is to include the Salesian Pedagogy from Saint John Bosco in the development of the current course.
Open Access
Error analysis on the use of simple past tense in narrative texts in online learning
(PUCE - Quito, 2022) Oviedo Zuñiga, Silvana Patricia; Vásquez Naranjo, Alejandra Nathaly
This study aims to analyze the different types of errors made in Simple Past Tense in narrative texts by students in the EFL classroom in a high school from Quito. The group of learners of this study present difficulties in their English writing skills, structuring sentences, writing paragraphs in a correct way and narrating events in past. The participants selected for this study were 39 students between 16 and 17 years old. All of them were native Spanish speakers and learners of English as a foreign language. Three narrative documents written by the students were collected during synchronous and asynchronous environments. The researcher identified, classified and analyzed the errors in Simple Past Tense made by the participants and based the study on Error Analysis theory. The author found 309 errors items which were classified into Omission, Addition, Misformation, and Misordering errors (Dulay et al., 1982). These errors were made in Synchronous and Asynchronous environments. The study found more Misformation errors in students’ writings – 193 total errors, 87 errors in the Synchronous modality and 96 in the Asynchronous environment. The findings in this study revealed that the high frequency of errors is caused by Intralingual interference