E-Structural (English Studies on Translation, Culture, Literature, and Linguistics)

Critical Analysis of Phonics Reading Approach Implementation for Very Young Learners in Non-Formal Education

Setyo Utami, Ulya Maulani Subhan, Anik Nur Maidah, Imra’atus Shalihah — Fri, 02 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The existing literature has documented the success of the phonics approach in teaching early reading in school contexts. Yet, research examining how teachers implement this approach, particularly in non-formal educational settings, remains limited. This qualitative case study aims to explore and critically analyze the application of phonics in a private language course in Jember, Indonesia, as well as the associated challenges. The study involved four teachers from the institution, and data were collected through observations, interviews, field notes, and document analysis. The findings suggest that phonics can help guide very young learners to develop their early literacy skills when applied explicitly and systematically. However, phonics itself can prove more complex than anticipated. Due to its technical nature and lack of support for meaning comprehension, phonics should not be the sole approach in a reading class. Therefore, it should be incorporated with meaning-based reading approaches and adequate teacher training to promote effective phonics instruction.

Structural Error Corrections in an English Conversation Class

Niswi Ulfini — Wed, 14 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study explored the correction of structural errors in a beginner-level English conversation class at a private language school in Indonesia. Building on the premise that both positive and negative evidence (corrective feedback) are essential for second language acquisition, the research investigated whether all structural errors were corrected, the source of the corrections, the timing, and the strategies employed. The study observed six EFL students during an online class, focusing on their use of past tense expressions. Data were collected through classroom observations and video recordings and analyzed using deductive content analysis. The results indicate that not all structural errors were corrected; the teacher and students themselves were the primary agents of correction, with peer correction notably absent. Most corrections occurred during controlled practice activities, aligning with the class's accuracy-focused goals. Immediate correction was the predominant timing strategy, and explicit correction methods, such as metalinguistic comments and elicitation, were favored over more implicit approaches like recasting. The findings suggest the need for greater consistency in corrective feedback and highlight the potential benefits of incorporating peer correction and explicit corrective feedback in beginner-level speaking classes. However, the study's limitations include its focus on structural errors without considering student uptake of corrections or the reasons behind the teacher's selective correction approach. Further research could explore these aspects to provide a more comprehensive understanding of corrective feedback in language learning contexts.

Students’ Attitude towards Translingual Practices in a Public Junior High School EFL Class in Brebes District

Ayu Ida Savitri, Sisilia Setiawati Halimi, Harni Kartikaningsih — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Teaching EFL to public junior high school students in a district where the local people speak a regional language with a dialect different from the regional language taught at school is challenging for teachers who apply translingual practice. This study aims to reveal the students' attitudes toward their translingual practice and their teacher’s translingual practice in EFL learning. This qualitative study involved 30 students in Grade 7 of a public junior high school in Brebes District. The data were collected by using questionnaires and interviews. The result shows that the students express a positive attitude towards the teacher’s and their peers’ use of the national language since it is considered polite and proper to be used as the school subject’s delivery language. However, the students show a negative attitude towards the teacher’s use of the regional language with the local dialect as it is considered impolite or improper to be used in a class, and they show a negative attitude towards their peer’s use of full English during the lesson because they felt that they had not mastered English yet. The teacher should carefully select the languages involved in a translingual practice to build the students’ positive attitudes. How they used their preferred languages during English lessons should be further observed to see how it helped them to learn EFL.