Enhancing Postgraduates’ English Communication Competencies through Experiential Learning
Keywords:
communication competencies, postgraduatesAbstract
English communication competencies are increasingly crucial for academic and professional success. However, many non-English major postgraduate students in China struggle with effectively communicating in English as a foreign language (EFL). This study aims to examine whether experiential learning can make a difference to these student’ English communication competencies. A mixed-method approach was employed, with data collected from 178 postgraduate students at a Chinese university, through pre- and post-intervention surveys and student feedback reports. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired-samples t-tests, while qualitative data were coded and analyzed thematically. The results showed significant improvements in the students’ communication competencies, with qualitative findings highlighting the role of the instructor, group dynamics, content focus, and learning environment. The study demonstrates great potential of experiential learning for the enhancement of EFL communication competencies.
References
Agustina, N., Mayuni, I., Iskandar, I., & Ratminingsih, N. M. (2022). Mobile learning application: Infusing critical thinking in the EFL classroom. Studies in English Language and Education, 9(2), 724-743.
Altakhaineh, A. R., & Zibin, A. (2014). Perception of culturally loaded words by Arab EFL learners. International Journal of Linguistics, 6(3), 1-22.
https://doi.org/10.5296/IJL.V6I3.4922
Arifin, M. A. (2021).Competence, competency, and competencies: A misunderstanding in theory and practice for future reference. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 11(9), 755-764.
https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v11-i9/11064
Babu, Y. V. (2019). Experiential learning: Critical reading through learning by doing method in the context of teaching EFL among engineering students. International Journal of Innovative Technology and Exploring Engineering, 8(9), 1440-1447.
https://doi.org/10.35940/ijitee.I7850.078919
Bethell, S., & Morgan, K. (2011). Problem-based and experiential learning: Engaging students in an undergraduate physical education module. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism Education, 10(1), 128-134. https://doi.org/10.3794/johlste.101.365
Blinova, E. (2021). The challenges of developing listening comprehension: Evidence from popular EFL course books. INTED2021 Proceedings, 317-323.
https://doi.org/10.21125/INTED.2021.0094
Bonesso, S., Gerli, F., & Pizzi, C. (2015). The interplay between experiential and traditional learning for competency development. Frontiers in Psychology, 6.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01305
Brower, H. H. (2011). Sustainable development through service-learning: A pedagogical framework and case example in a third world context. Academy of Management Learning and Education, 10(1), 58-76. https://doi.org/10.5465/AMLE.2011.59513273
Chen, Y., & Preston, J. (2021). Improving EFL students’ critical thinking skills through organization development intervention strategies at Zhejiang Yuexiu University in China. ABAC ODI Journal, 9(1), 181-203.
https://doi.org/1.14456/ABACODIJOURNAL.2021.25
Chomsky, N. (1965). Aspects of the theory of syntax. The M.I.T. Press.
Ferdoush, Z., & Jahan, R. (2024). Exploring the challenges encountered by EFL teachers in promoting critical thinking skills. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 8(3), 2053-2062. https://doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2024.803148S
Fujita, R. (2021). The role of speech-in-noise in Japanese EFL learners’ listening comprehension process and their use of contextual information. International Journal of Listening, 36(2), 118-137. https://doi.org/10.1080/10904018.2021.1963252
Galante, A., & Thomson, R. I. (2017). The Effectiveness of drama as an instructional approach for the development of second language oral fluency, comprehensibility, and accentedness. TESOL Quarterly, 51(1), 115-142. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.290
García-Sánchez, S., & Luján-García, C. (2016). Ubiquitous knowledge and experiences to foster EFL learning affordances. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 29(5), 1169-118. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2016.1176047
Graneheim, U. H., & Lundman, B. (2004). Qualitative content analysis in nursing research: concepts, procedures, and measures to achieve trustworthiness. Nurse Education Today. 24(2), 105-112. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2003.10.001
Gumperz, J. (1967). Language and communication. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 373(1), 219-231.
https://doi.org/10.1177/000271626737300112
Halliday, M. A. K. (1985). An introduction to functional grammar. Arnold.
Hattani, H. A. (2018). Communicative language teaching in the Moroccan EFL classroom. Journal on English Language Teaching, 3(2), 87-98.
https://doi.org/10.21462/jeltl.v3i2.108
Hitotuzi, N. (2014). The dramatic problematizer model: An approach towards the development of critical thinking in the EFL classroom. Critical Pedagogy Journal, 9(2), 203. https://doi.org/1.1016/SBSPRO.2014.1.157
Huwari, I. F., & Al-Shboul, Y. (2015). A study on the perception of Jordanian EFL learners’ pragmatic transfer of refusals. Advances in Language and Literary Studies, 6(1), 46-54. https://doi.org/10.7575/aiac.alls.v.6n.1p.46
Hymes, D. H. (1971). Competence and performance in linguistic theory. Academic Press.
Hymes, D. H. (1972). On Communicative Competence. In J. B. Pride & J. Holmes (Eds.), Sociolinguistics: Selected Readings (pp. 269-293). Penguin.
Ibna Seraj, P. M., & Habil, H. (2021). A Systematic Overview of Issues for Developing EFL Learners’ Oral English Communication Skills. Journal of Language and Education, 7, 192-204. https://doi.org/10.17323/jle.2021.10737
Idrus, H. (2016). Enhancing oral presentation skills of ESL students: The use of oral communication strategies. In S. Fun Tang, & L. Logonnathan (Eds.), Assessment for learning within and beyond the classroom (pp. 437-446). Springer.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-0908-2_37
Jim, C. Y. H. (2018). Contexts, problems and solutions in international communication: Insights for teaching English as a Lingua Franca. Journal of Asia TEFL, 15(2), 257-275. https://doi.org/10.18823/asiatefl.2018.15.2.1.257
Jurkowski, S., Mundelsee, L., & Hänze, M. (2024). Strengthening collaborative learning in secondary school: Development and evaluation of a lesson-integrated training approach for transactive communication. Learning and Instruction, 92, 101934.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2024.101934
Kamilovna, Y. Z., & Urazboyqizi, K. B. (2021). The importance of role-playing in ESL teaching. ACADEMIA: An International Multidisciplinary Research Journal, 11(5), 477-48. https://doi.org/10.5958/2249-7137.2021.01424.5
Kang, S. H. (2006). How do gestures and facial cues affect EFL listening comprehension? English Teaching, 61(4), 103-119.
Keeton, M. T., & Tate, P. J. (1978). Learning by experience: What, why, how?. Jossey-Bass.
Kersten, M. (2023). Learning by doing: The benefits of adopting an online negotiation support system into an English for academic purposes course. Journal of Teaching English for Specific and Academic Purposes, 127-148.
https://doi.org/10.22190/JTESAP220618009K
Keys, L. (1994). Action learning: Executive development of choice for the 1990s. Journal of Management Development, 13(8), 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/02621719410071982
Kolb, A. Y., & Kolb, D. A. (2017). Experiential learning theory as a guide for experiential educators in higher education. Experiential Learning & Teaching in Higher Education, 1(1), 7. https://doi.org/10.46787/elthe.v1i1.3362
Kolotouchkina, O., Vallés, J. E. G., & Alonso Mosquera, M. H. (2020). Fostering key professional skills and social activism through experiential learning projects in communication and advertising education. Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, 76(1), 46-64. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077695820919633
Koukpossi, O. A., Kottin, A. E., Loko, C. D., Koutchade, I. S., & Dossou, M. T. (2024). Enhancing critical thinking skills of EFL learners in Beninese secondary schools: Strategies and implementation. Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology, 8(6), 769-781. https://doi.org/10.55214/25768484.v8i6.2162
Krashen, S., & Terrell, T. D. (1983). The natural approach: Language acquisition in the classroom. Pergamon.
Kunioshi, N., Noguchi, J., Hayashi, H., & Tojo, K. (2012). An online support site for preparation of oral presentations in science and engineering. European Journal of Engineering Education, 37(6), 600-608.
https://doi.org/10.1080/03043797.2012.733681
Lee, L. F., Sidhu, G. K., & Chan, Y. F. (2014). Establishing a holistic approach for postgraduate supervision. Springer.
Liaw, M. L. (2007). Content-based reading and writing for critical thinking skills in an EFL context. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 31(2), 45-87.
https://doi.org/10.6330/ETL.2007.31.2.02
Lubis, N., Lubis, A., & Ashadi, R. I. (2018). Integrating teaching models to enhance EFL students’ interpersonal communication skill and creativity. International Journal of Education and Literacy Studies, 6(4). https://doi.org/10.7575/aiac.ijels.v.6n.4p.129
Maharsi, I. (2017). Experiential learning approach to teach content courses in an EFL teacher education program. ICTTE 2017 Proceedings, 3881-391.
https://doi.org/10.2991/ictte-17.2017.11
Malthus, C., & Lu, H. (2012). “Not a Mission Impossible”: The perceptions of successful graduates on the development of spoken English for the workplace. Journal of Asian Pacific Communication, 22(1), 120-139. https://doi.org/10.1075/japc.22.1.07mal
March, J. G. (2010). The ambiguities of experience. Cornell University Press.
Minakova, L. Y. (2014). Critical Thinking Development in Foreign Language Teaching for Non-language-majoring Students. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 154, 324-328. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.10.157
Moore, B. M., & Parker, R. (2000). Critical Thinking. McGraw-Hill Higher Education.
Osman, W. S. W., Senom, F., & Shah, S. S. A. (2024). Understanding ESL postgraduate students’ dissertation writing challenges: The interplay between second language writing anxiety and writer’s block. The English Teacher, 53(1), 44-56.
https://doi.org/10.52696/IFZJ8661
Pham, H. P. Q. (2017). Group dynamics: Building a sense of belonging in the EFL classroom. English Teaching Forum, 55(1), 1421.
Raja, F. U., & Khan, N. (2018). Comparing traditional teaching method and experiential teaching method using experimental research. Journal of Education and Educational Development, 5(2), 276-288. https://doi.org/10.22555/joeed.v5i2.1816
Ramli, N. F. M., Tazijan, F., Shaari, A. H., & Wang, N. A. (2023). Identifying 21st-century skills gap in the ESL/EFL Malaysian postgraduate education system. Asian People Journal, 6(2), 119-135. https://doi.org/10.37231/apj.2023.6.2.551
Rua, T., & Aytug, Z. G. (2023). Teaching virtual presentation with a theory-based feedback intervention: An experiential class project for the postpandemic era. Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education, 22, 88-98. https://doi.org/10.1111/dsji.12307
Ruben, B. D., & Kealey, D. J. (1979). Behavioral assessment of communication competency and the prediction of cross-cultural adaptation. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 3(1), 15-47. https://doi.org/10.1016/0147-1767(79)90045-2
Rubin, R. B. (1982). Assessing speaking and listening competency at the college level: The communication competency assessment instrument, Communication Education, 31(1), 19-32. https://doi.org/10.1080/03634528209384656
Sahin, S. (2015). Pre-service EFL teachers’ perceptions on listening comprehension problems. International Journal of Social Sciences and Educational Studies, 2(1), 10-24.
Shields, S. A., Zawadzki, M. J., & Johnson, R. N. (2011). The impact of the Workshop Activity for Gender Equity Simulation in the Academy (WAGES-Academic) in demonstrating cumulative effects of gender bias. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 4(2), 120-129. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0022953
Slavich, G. M., & Zimbardo, P. G. (2012). Transformational teaching: Theoretical underpinnings, basic principles, and core methods. Educational Psychology Review, 24(4), 569-608. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-012-9199-6
Snider, D. (2017). Critical thinking in the foreign language and culture curriculum. The Journal of General Education, 66(1-2), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.5325/jgeneduc.66.1-2.0001
Taylor, A.-S. A., Backlund, P., & Niklasson, L. (2012). The coaching cycle: A coaching-by-gaming approach in serious games. Simulation and Gaming, 43(5), 648-672. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046878112457396
Timken, G. L., & McNamee, J. (2012). New perspectives for teaching physical education: Preservice teachers’ reflections on outdoor and adventure education. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 31(1), 21-38. https://doi.org/10.1123/jtpe.31.1.21
Tripathi, M., Dutta, R., Roy, A., & Sah, M. (2021). Learning by Doing: A Systematic Review on Second Language Acquisition Corresponding to Personality Traits. International Journal of English Learning & Teaching Skills, 3(3), 2336-2376.
https://doi.org/10.15864/ijelts.3310
Tuomaitė, V., & Zajankauskaitė, Z. (2017). Oral communication in a foreign language competence development in academic contexts. Studies About Languages, 31, 113-129. https://doi.org/10.5755/j01.sal..31.19049
Wang, H., & Wang, Y. (2007). The addition of an affect test and self-assessment into ESL writing assessment: Process and effect, a case study in a non-English major postgraduate ESL writing class. Asian EFL Journal, 20(5), 299-316.
Yaiche, W. (2021). Boosting EFL learners critical thinking through guided discovery: A classroom-oriented research on first-year master students. Arab World English Journal, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3826506
Yang, Y., & Gamble, J. (2013). Effective and practical critical thinking-enhanced EFL instruction. ELT Journal, 67(4), 398-412. https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/cct038
Zha, S., Kelly, P., Park, M. K., & Fitzgerald, G. (2006). An Investigation of Communicative Competence of ESL Students Using Electronic Discussion Boards. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 38(3), 349-367.
https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2006.10782464
Zhang, L., Tuomainen, J., Klavinskis, L., & Whiting, C. (2023). The role of multimodal cues in second language processing: Insights from EEG. Brain Sciences, 13(5), 763.
https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13050763
Zhao, C., Pandian, A., & Singh, M. K. M. (2016). Instructional strategies for developing critical thinking in EFL classrooms. English Language Teaching, 9(10), 14-21.
https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v9n10p14
Zou, B., Wang, X., & Yu, C. (2022). The impact of Sino-foreign cooperative universities in China on Chinese postgraduate students’ learning performances in the United Kingdom and United States. Frontier of Psychology, 13, 1012614.
