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    Using Mainstream Video Games to Promote Learner Motivation towards English as a Second Language in Tertiary Level Education
    (International Conference on the Humanities (ICH 2018/2019), Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Ekanayake, E. M. P. E.
    Prominent thinkers and researchers in the field of ELT/L (English Language Teaching/ Learning) such as R.C. Gardner and Stephen Krashen stress on the importance of student motivation, attitudes and on the importance of interesting/ compelling learning material to trigger the two former factors {ex: Krashen‘s Compelling (not just interesting) Input Hypothesis}. As such, this study was designed to investigate whether MVGs (Mainstream Video Games)1 can be successfully incorporated into formal ELT/L environments at tertiary level of education to promote student motivation towards learning ESL (English as a Second Language). For the purpose of this research, 75 First year undergraduates of Faculty of Arts, University of Peradeniya, belonging to the Intermediate level of English Language proficiency were exposed to ESL lessons based on MVGs on a particular day of the week (Friday) when their attendance is lowest, for 12 weeks. Both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection were used to triangulate the data. The analysis of quantitative data (attendance records of students) revealed that the use of MVGs in ELT/L can lead to dramatic improvement in student attendance (94.9% attendance as an average). Content/ discourse analysis and thematic analysis methods were deployed to analyze the qualitative data i.e., 70 questionnaires given to students and interviews with students (10) and instructors (2). Through the analysis of qualitative data, certain dominant aspects of ESL lessons based on MVGs were identified which were responsible for effecting major attitudinal change in students towards the teacher, the ESL programme and towards learning ESL. For instance, it was found that the MVG based lessons were catalytic in triggering active learning as opposed to passive learning, student-centered learning, providing a sense of achievement and boosting the self-confidence of students. These attitudinal changes were identified to have enhanced and intensified the motivational levels of students towards learning ESL. Since the introduction of MVGs made an overwhelmingly positive change to the ESL learning atmosphere, it is suggested that MVGs should be utilized as a learning aid or a method in ELT/L contexts
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    Error Analysis on Prepositions Used by the Learners of English as a Second Language in Writing
    (International Journal of Social Science and Technology, 2018-06) Jayasinghe, R.R.
    This study examines omission errors, substitution errors and addition errors in the usage of prepositions by the learners of English as a Second Language (ESL) in writing tasks. The main purpose of the study Is 10 investigate: whether the school children in lower grades tend to omit prepositions more often than in highs? grades whereas in higher grades, they show more substitution and addition errors. A pool of 260 Sinhala speaking students from four grades (Grade 4, Grade 6, Grade 8 and Grade 10) participated in this study, picture story writing task where prepositions needed to be abundantly used was administered, and errors the use of prepositions were analysed. The main findings concluded; although more omission errors were found in the lower grades significantly, the increase in substitution errors towards higher grades is not w sharp. These findings can be used in the ESL classroom to facilitate teaching English prepositions.
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    Effective Use of Home Language and Translanguaging in Learning Spellings by ESL Learners
    (12th British Association of Applied Linguistics (BAAL), 2016) Jayasinghe, R.
    Recent studies show that educational programs that systematically incorporate the use of English Language Learner’s (ELLs’) home languages result in achievement in English literacy and other academic subjects often better than ELLs in English only programs (Genesee & Lindholm- Leary, in press). Lindholm and Aclan (1991) found a significant positive relationship between ELLs’ bilingual proficiency and their performance in reading in English. The aim of the study is to examine whether the Sinhala speaking ESL (English as a Second Language) learner’s bilingual home language (Sinhala and English) shows a positive influence in learning spellings of English words. Sinhala spelling is phonetic whereas English spelling is not phonetic that some of its words cannot be spelt by merely following the way they are pronounced (e.g. psychology). The hypothesis of the study is that the young Sinhala speaking ESL learners follow their parents’ pronunciation in English words and spell them as the way they are pronounced. A pool of 65 students in Grade 4 were examined. A dictation task consisted of 40 sentences containing one preposition each was used. Both accurate spelling of the prepositions and the number of home languages of each learner were analyzed. ANOVA will be computed using SPSS12. If there is a significant positive impact on the accuracy of the spellings of the given prepositions by the bilingual home language, these learners’ home languages and translanguaging can be used to facilitate teaching spellings of the English words which can be merely spelt following their pronunciation.
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    A comparative study on the acquisition of the four categories of prepositions in writing by the ESL learners in Sri Lanka: Grade 8 and Grade 10
    (Asia TEFL International Conference, 2017) Jayasinghe, R.
    The present study attempts to validate or disprove the fine-grained categorization of English prepositions found by Littlefield (2006), on the basis of ESL (English as a Second Language) learners’ acquisition patterns in a writing task. In English, prepositions are words while in Sinhala, they are represented as spatial postpositions or as suffixes (Thilakaratne 1992). This particular cross-linguistic variation as well as the polysemy and the idiosyncrasy of some English prepositions make a negative impact on the acquisition of English prepositions to the ESL learners whose first language is Sinhala. Littlefield (2006) found the existence of four categories of English prepositions as follows: Adverbial prepositions [+Lexical, -Functional], Particles [-Lexical, -Functional], Semi-lexical prepositions [+Lexical, +Functional], and Functional prepositions [ -Lexical, +Functional]. Using naturalistic speech data of five native speakers, Littlefield (2006) has found that the prepositions with [-Functional] categories show an advantage over the prepositions with [+Functional] categories in the acquisition of English prepositions. Here, [+Lexical] featured prepositions are those that contribute semantic content and prepositions with [+Functional] assign Case to their complements. This study examines the frequency as well as the accuracy of production of the four categories of prepositions in writing. It aims to compare the acquisition patterns of prepositions of ESL learners in writing. A picture story writing task in which prepositions needed to be abundantly used was utilized to collect production data from 40 randomly selected students each from Grade 8 and Grade 10 in two schools. Interaction effects and category wise analysis were computed and a two way ANNOVA was run by using SPSS. If the prepositions with [-Functional] rank higher than the prepositions with [+ Functional] features the relevant order can be used to facilitate the teaching of English prepositions and also to prepare the study guides and text books for the relevant Grades in schools.
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    Code Switching and Code Mixing in an ESL Class: A Study of Undergraduates in a State University.
    (The Third International Conference on Linguistics in Sri Lanka, ICLSL 2017. Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2017) Samarakoon, S. M. S. S.
    Code switching and code mixing exist in bilingual societies where people use two or more languages to communicate. Being able to speak more than one language, bilinguals can code-switch and mix as means of effectively conveying meaning. Code switching and mixing frequently occur in English classrooms in faculties of Arts in Sri Lankan universities, where the teachers use Sinhala or L1 to teach English as a second language. The effectiveness of using and mixing L1 and L2 has been debated over the years. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate when and why teachers in this context use code mixing and code switching. Two classroom observations were carried out, two language instructors were interviewed and 30 ESL students in an intermediate level group were given a questionnaire to gather data for the study. The students' views on the use of L1 were assessed using a questionnaire that contained five-point Likert scale items. The results showed that the informant teachers generally tried to code-switch as little as possible but that they did code-switch in some of those situations where the students preferred either a combination of Sinhala and English or only Sinhala. During instances where the students cannot understand the lessons when instructions or explanations are given only in English, the informant teachers switch to L1, to create a less intimidating atmosphere which was one of the observations of the study. All 30 students strongly agreed with the fact that L1 should be used to understand grammar rules and lexical areas. The informant teachers agree to some extent with the idea that learners will understand more if they were to uses the L1 language of the learners to explain certain grammatical components. Both the informant teachers agree to some extent that learners will understand more, if she uses the L1 languages to explain the meanings of certain lexical item.
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    Effectiveness of Using English Songs to Develop the Level of Vocabulary Competence of the Undergraduates.
    (The Third International Conference on Linguistics in Sri Lanka, ICLSL 2017. Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2017) Rupesinghe, T.U.
    The use of songs in the language development is a popular concept in the pedagogical studies. Through this research, it is aimed to find out how effective the songs could be in the enhancement of vocabulary knowledge of the learners. For a Second Language learner, having substantial vocabulary knowledge in the target language is very important to communicate well in that language. Therefore, through this research, effectiveness of using songs to introduce new words to enhance the level of vocabulary competence of the undergraduates was explored. This study was conducted using fifty undergraduates from University of Sri Jayawardhanapura. In addition, opinions were taken from fifteen teachers‟ in this regard. Several materials, namely two questionnaires, a pretest and a post-test were used to collect data and the study was carried out within three weeks. At the initial stage, a questionnaire for students and a questionnaire for teachers were given to get the opinions on using songs to develop vocabulary. The fifty undergraduates were divided into two groups as control group who were taught vocabulary by a teacher in a usual class setting and the experimental group to whom the vocabulary was introduced with the use of songs. The analysis of the Pretest, which was given at the beginning of the three weeks, showed that all the participants had an equal proficiency level related to vocabulary. However, after three weeks of vocabulary sessions, the post-test scores revealed that both groups have developed their vocabulary competence but the experimental group has outperformed the control group by retaining more number of words. It was also observed that the use of song in the classroom could create a motivating and relaxing learner environment. Therefore, in conclusion it was proved that English songs are an effective tool to be used in ESL classrooms to enhance the vocabulary competence of the undergraduates.
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    Diagnosis of Prevalent Metacognitive Strategies among ESL Learners.
    (The Third International Conference on Linguistics in Sri Lanka, ICLSL 2017. Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2017) Rathnayake, W. M. P.Y. B.
    The way in which learners of English as a second language (ESL) acquire language has been one of the seminal areas of investigation in language pedagogy which can effectively make an impact in attempts to materialize optimum input for ESL classroom. Having hypothesized that a combination of linguistic content assisted with metacognitive strategy is effective in harvesting outcomes in ESL context, the study endeavors to identify areas of metacognitive skills to be espoused in input. In order to determine the extent of metacognitive strategy and skills required for the learners, a diagnosis of the prevailing metacognitive strategy in use of the learners is crucial. Being considerate of what metacognitive strategies are students aware of in learning ESL and which strategies do they perceive as relevant for their studies, as research problems the study proposes a questionnaire aligned with taxonomy of metacognition that can be of definite viability to deploy in the investigation of prevailing metacognitive skills among learners. The questionnaire survey executed among 110 engineering undergraduates provides the data for the study. The questionnaire identifies learner traits that reflect metacognitive behavior which eases investigating the existing strategy in possession of learners. Such traits possessed by learner are interpreted in terms of the taxonomy of metacognition thus forming the portfolio of metacognitive strategy in use among the ESL learners. In the attempt of cataloguing the metacognitive strategy portfolio of ESL learners, the classification of strategy is done on the basis of the taxonomy of metacognition by Tarricone (2011). Taxonomy aligned diagnosis proves the prevalence of strategies of highly metacognitive nature among leaners. The general findings of the context further prove the instances in which learners find themselves capable of metacognitive feelings and judgements with regard to the use of strategies of metacognitive nature. The correlation analysis establishes the integrated nature of the four skills of language in ESL learning context, while instituting that there exists a correlation among planning, monitoring and control behaviors towards enabling metacognitive feelings and judgments.
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    Impact of Collaborative Writing on Learners of English as a Second Language.
    (The Third International Conference on Linguistics in Sri Lanka, ICLSL 2017. Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2017) Markandu, P.
    Teaching English for the learners of English as a second language has undergone many changes in the recent times and numerous novel methods are being introduced to make language learning and writing more effective. Collaborative writing is one among those methods used to enhance the writing proficiency of the learners of English as a second language. The major concern of this study is to identify the impact of collaborative writing on learners of English as a second language. The study has investigated how collaborative writing can improve the critical thinking skills of the learners. The study mainly focuses on the collaborative writing skill, with specific focus on the composition writing skill of the learners of English as a second Language in the University College of Jaffna. The sample of the study included thirty students from the Food Technology course of the University College of Jaffna. The data were collected through written tests where an individual test and a group test on the same topic was given and assessed. Further data were collected through questionnaires and Observer‟s notes. The analysis of the data showed that the group essays were more organized and meaningful with less errors rather than the individual test. Among the thirty samples for the study, the collaborative writing was effective for almost all of them and for nineteen of them it was more useful. The analysis also helped to identify the attitude of learners towards collaborative writing and it revealed a positive impact on their learning and writing proficiency. The writing ability and the writing skill of the students seem to be limited in many parts of Sri Lanka compared to the other three basic language skills. Therefore, there is a pressing need for research on the writing practices of Sri Lanka and to discover suitable remedies to improve the writing skill. Finally, through this research, it is identified that collaborative writing is an effective way to improve the writing skill of learners of English as a Second Language.
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    Attitudes towards the Use of Web 2.0 Tools for Learning ESL: A Case Study Conducted at the Advanced Technological Institute, Gampaha.
    (The Third International Conference on Linguistics in Sri Lanka, ICLSL 2017. Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2017) Jayathilake, M. V. M.; Shantha, P. H. A. B.
    With the advancement of the web technologies, almost all the fields get more benefits than previously and education is one of most benefited sectors. There is a growing interest in online classroom settings in learning second languages. There are a number of research studies that have used empirical and exploratory methods to assess and evaluate the actual impact of using Web 2.0 tools in learning English as second language, because Web 2.0 tools have shifted language learners from passive recipients into active contributors. Based on this rationale, the present study aims at exploring attitudes toward the use of Web 2.0 tools for leaning English as a second language. However, the question arises as to whether alternative higher education sector students have similar Web 2.0 experiences in ESL as their higher education sector peers. In this study, the core objective is to evaluate attitudes towards using Web 2.0 tools in Leaning English as a Second Language in the higher Education sector of Sri Lanka. Accordingly, 260 students from Advanced Technological Institute (ATI), Gampaha were selected as the sample. Framework of this study is based on Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The study made use of a mixed method approach and the participants‟ attitudes were elicited through the use of a questionnaire which included open-ended questions to collect qualitative data and structured questions which ensured the collection of quantitative data. Responses given to open-ended questions were analyzed through coding the statements while the responses to structured questions were analyzed by calculating the frequencies. The results showed that all the respondents rated the items positively within all six dimensions of TAM. Web 2.0 tools had significant correlations to TAM dimensions and the majority of students have positive attitudes regarding the use of an interactive web environment and the learning benefits that ensued.
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    The Accuracy on the Usage of Active Voice and Passive Voice by Learners of English as a Second Language: Tertiary Level.
    (The Third International Conference on Linguistics in Sri Lanka, ICLSL 2017. Department of Linguistics, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2017) Jayasinghe, R.R.
    In English grammar, voice refers to the form of verb in a sentence: Active voice or Passive voice. In active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action where as in passive form, the subject receives the action. In English Language, there are 12 tenses to indicate active voice, but the possibility of transforming them to passive voice depends on the given verb and the context of the sentence. Though the active voice verbs are stronger and usually more empathetic than the passive voice verbs, the university undergraduates of the Faculty of Science have to master the passive voice accurately in order to report their experiments and research findings quite frequently. However, even having a good knowledge of the 12 tenses in active voice, many ESL (English as a Second Language) learners fail to transform some of them into passive voice successfully. The aim of this study is to examine the accuracy patterns of the ESL learners‟ usage of passive voice and thereby to find out the causes of these learners‟ difficulties in transforming active voice sentences into passive voice. The hypothesis of this study is, the intralingual difficulties in English language, create undergraduates‟ errors in passive voice construction. A pool of 150 Physical Science first year students of University of Kelaniya were examined in this study. These students were given a writing task to transform active voice sentences of all the 12 tenses in English language into passive voice. These students‟ accuracy was marked and analyzed by using an ANOVA test followed by an HD Tukey test in SPSS. The results showed a substantial number of significant variances between the accuracy of passive voice sentences in different tenses. This study concludes that the students make errors in transforming active voice to passive voice due to the interlingual difficulties caused by the negative influence of their first language, Sinhala, and also the intralingual difficulties in their target language, English. These findings can be used to facilitate teaching passive voice in ESL classrooms at the tertiary level.