Author
Zaidah Zainal
Bio: Zaidah Zainal is an academic researcher from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. The author has contributed to research in topics: Reading (process) & Reading comprehension. The author has an hindex of 6, co-authored 22 publications receiving 1368 citations.
Papers
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01 Jun 2007
TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss several aspects of case studies as a research method, including the design and categories of case study and how their robustness can be achieved, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of case-study methods as research methods.
Abstract: Although case study methods remain a controversial approach to data collection, they are widely recognised in many social science studies especially when in-depth explanations of a social behaviour are sought after. This article, therefore, discusses several aspects of case studies as a research method. These include the design and categories of case studies and how their robustness can be achieved. It also explores on the advantages and disadvantages of case study as a research method.
1,336 citations
TL;DR: This review is an attempt to broaden the knowledge of vocabulary and its relationship with reading comp rehension performance.
80 citations
24 Jan 2011
TL;DR: The results showed that reading has positive effects on the students???? writing and recommendations for future research were suggested.
Abstract: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of reading on writing performance among Faculty of Civil Engineering students. A total of twenty students from the Faculty of Civil Engineering had been identified and selected for the purpose of this research. This group of students is taking an English language course that is UHB 2422 Advanced English for Academic Communication. There were two writing sessions. The first session required the students to write an essay according to the topic given without reading the materials on related topic. Then, they were required to answer the questionnaire regarding their personal views on writing without reading text. On the other hand, in the second session of writing, the students were given a text to read and later produced a mind map based on their understanding of the text. The text then was taken and they were asked to write an essay on the given topic. They were required to answer the questionnaire regarding their personal views on writing with reading text. Observation was also made during both writing sessions. The results showed that reading has positive effects on the students???? writing. The findings of this study were discussed and recommendations for future research were also suggested.
16 citations
TL;DR: This study attempted to investigate how CLT understood and implemented in Malaysian secondary schools from the students’ point of view and some pedagogical implications have been proposed by the researchers which can help decision makers in the language teaching and learning of this country.
Abstract: Nowadays in most of the educational systems all over the world many curriculum designers as well as administrators in the ministry of education of different countries recommended a very well-known approach of language teaching and learning namely Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) in the English classes. In such a circumstance that CLT has been widely adopted by textbook designers and material writers all over the world, especially in ESL countries, different researches which have been conducted in the ESL/EFL countries shows that still in many cases teachers and students have different challenges and problems in order to apply CLT in their schools. In this study researchers attempted to investigate how CLT understood and implemented in Malaysian secondary schools from the students’ point of view. In order to get a clear picture of students’ understanding, perceptions and the way that they incorporate CLT in the secondary schools a semi-structured interview was conducted among 30 ESL Malaysian students in Malaysian secondary schools. Results of the study showed different contextual and cultural problems regarding implementation of CLT from the students’ viewpoint. There were some mismatches between what is going on in Malaysian secondary schools English classes and what has been assigned to do by the curriculum of the ministry of education of this country. At the end of the study some pedagogical implications have been proposed by the researchers which can help decision makers in the language teaching and learning of this country.
12 citations
01 Jan 2013
TL;DR: A qualitative survey investigation to find out teachers’ and students’ perceptions and challenges for implementing CLT in the secondary schools, as the main role makers in the English classes in Malaysia.
Abstract: During the recent decades most of the countries all over the world changed their English teaching methods from the old language teaching approaches which was mainly focused on the teachers’ performances to learner centered approaches. Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach mainly focuses on the students interactions in the classrooms and attracted many scholars’ ideas in the field of language teaching and learning. But CLT mainly originated from the countries with English native teachers and students. In many EFL/ESL countries still many teachers and students have several problems in order to apply CLT in their educational systems. Malaysian ministry of education assigned all of the secondary schools in order to apply CLT in the English classes. During the current research, researchers surfed on net and investigated in several valid data bases but they couldn’t find any studies about students’ and teachers’ perceptions regarding the CLT principles in the context of Malaysia. As it seems very important to know their perceptions and challenges regarding CLT and what they really do in the schools researchers did a qualitative survey investigation in order to find out teachers’ and students’ perceptions and challenges for implementing CLT in the secondary schools, as the main role makers in the English classes.In this study researchers used stratified sampling method and they had some criteria in mind to choose their samples like school type and school setting.To this aim, 30 students as well as 30 teachers participated in the semi-structured interviews Participants answered to the three phase semi-structured interviews. Three phase interview has been used in order to find out participants’ ideas. Results of the study reflected students’ and teachers’ perceptions & challenges regarding CLT principles in Malaysia. Although most of the students and teachers were agreed with CLT principles but they had some problems regarding the CLT implementation in Malaysian context like lack of school facilities, quality of textbooks, and some problems regarding the teaching of some skill and sub skills. At the end of
11 citations
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TL;DR: F fuzzy sets allow a far richer dialogue between ideas and evidence in social research than previously possible, and can be carefully tailored to fit evolving theoretical concepts, sharpening quantitative tools with in-depth knowledge gained through qualitative, case-oriented inquiry.
Abstract: In this innovative approach to the practice of social science, Charles Ragin explores the use of fuzzy sets to bridge the divide between quantitative and qualitative methods. Paradoxically, the fuzzy set is a powerful tool because it replaces an unwieldy, "fuzzy" instrument—the variable, which establishes only the positions of cases relative to each other, with a precise one—degree of membership in a well-defined set. Ragin argues that fuzzy sets allow a far richer dialogue between ideas and evidence in social research than previously possible. They let quantitative researchers abandon "homogenizing assumptions" about cases and causes, they extend diversity-oriented research strategies, and they provide a powerful connection between theory and data analysis. Most important, fuzzy sets can be carefully tailored to fit evolving theoretical concepts, sharpening quantitative tools with in-depth knowledge gained through qualitative, case-oriented inquiry. This book will revolutionize research methods not only in sociology, political science, and anthropology but in any field of inquiry dealing with complex patterns of causation.
1,828 citations
1,094 citations
Book•
01 Jan 1999
TL;DR: Second language acquisition research has been extensively studied in the literature as discussed by the authors, with a focus on second language acquisition in the context of English as a Second Language Learning (ESL) programs.
Abstract: Acknowledgements Introduction PART ONE - BACKGROUND Introduction 1. Second language acquisition research: an overview PART TWO - THE DESCRIPTION OF LEARNER LANGUAGE Introduction 2. Learner errors and error analysis 3. Developmental patterns: order and sequence in second language acquisition 4. Variability in learner language 5. Pragmatic aspects of learner language PART THREE - EXPLAINING SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION: EXTERNAL FACTORS Introduction 6. Social factors and second language acquisition 7. Input and interaction and second language acquisition PART FOUR - EXPLAINING SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION: INTERNAL FACTORS Introduction 8. Language transfer 9. Cognitive accounts of second language acquisition 10. Linguistic universals and second language acquisition PART FIVE - EXPLAINING INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION Introduction 11. Individual learner differences 12. Learning strategies PART SIX - CLASSROOM SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION Introduction 13. Classroom interaction and second language acquisition 14. Formal instruction and second language acquisition PART SEVEN - CONCLUSION Introduction 15. Data, theory, and applications in second language acquisition research Glossary Bibliography Author index Subject index
981 citations
Book•
01 Jan 2002
TL;DR: For instance, Schofield et al. as discussed by the authors studied the influence of L1 influences on L2 vocabulary acquisition and the formal aspects of vocabulary acquisition in the context of the syllabus.
Abstract: 1. Word frequency and vocabulary size Paul Nation and Rob Waring 2. Variation in spoken and written language Michael McCarthy and Ron Carter 3. Vocabulary connections Rosamund Moon 4. Vocabulary and context William Nagy 5. Productive vs. receptive aspects of vocabulary Francine Melka 6. Models of lexical acquisition Paul Meara 7. Cognitive constraints on vocabulary acquisition Nick Ellis 8. Intralexical factors affecting the difficulty of vocabulary acquisition Batia Laufer 9. L1 influences on L2 vocabulary acquisition 10. Acquisition of the formal aspects of vocabulary Michael Swan 11. Vocabulary learning strategies Ann Ryan 12. Vocabulary and the syllabus Norbert Schmitt 13. Teaching vocabulary: most recent trends Felicity O'Dell 14. Vocabulary and testing John Read 15. Dictionaries, thesauruses, lexical resources Phil Schofield.
905 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors describe how people download the growth of logical thinking from childhood to adolescence, but end up in malicious downloads, rather than enjoying a good book with a cup of coffee in the afternoon, instead they cope with some harmful virus inside their laptop.
Abstract: Thank you for downloading the growth of logical thinking from childhood to adolescence. Maybe you have knowledge that, people have look numerous times for their chosen books like this the growth of logical thinking from childhood to adolescence, but end up in malicious downloads. Rather than enjoying a good book with a cup of coffee in the afternoon, instead they cope with some harmful virus inside their laptop.
862 citations