Jeng-yih Tim Hsu
National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology
About
Jeng-yih Tim Hsu is an associate professor at the Department of English, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Taiwan. Tim holds a doctorate in Composition and TESOL from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, USA. He earned his Master in English Language and Linguistics from University of Arizona, USA. He is fluent in both English and Mandarin Chinese, and also speaks Japanese. His teaches courses on business writing, business presentation, and his current research interests center around adapting Problem-based Learning (PBL) into EFL classrooms.Sessions
Synchronous (Onsite) An Investigation into the Vocabulary Size of Taiwanese Junior High School Students more
Sun, Apr 30, 10:30-10:55 Asia/Seoul
This study examined the vocabulary size of junior high school students in southern Taiwan. Altogether, 343 participants from two junior high schools, 1 urban and 1 rural, in Kaohsiung City Taiwan participated. The data were collected by the Test of the First 1,000 Words of English (Nation, 1993), and the 2,000-word level and 3,000-word level tests of the revised version of Nation’s Vocabulary Levels Test (Schmitt, 2000). The averaged vocabulary size of the first-, second-, and the third-year students were 503, 534, and 658 words respectively. The results indicated that the junior students of higher academic levels carried a larger vocabulary. Moreover, the vocabulary size of the urban students was found to have a slighter lead than that of their counterparts in the rural area. The findings could suggest possible improvements for the teaching and learning of English vocabulary for the junior high school classrooms in Taiwan and Asia.
Synchronous (Onsite) A PBL-infused Business Communication Course Bringing EFL College Students Closer to Workplace more
Sat, Apr 29, 16:30-16:55 Asia/Seoul
The current study proposed to integrate Problem-Based Learning into a college business communication course designed for English majors at the Department of English in a public university of science and technology in Taiwan. This study intended to examine students’ learning engagement and overall course effectiveness in the course infusing PBL learning. The research instruments consisted of both quantitative and qualitative methods, including learning engagement scale for college students (LESCS), the classroom teacher reflection notes, student interviews, and final course evaluation. The quantitative data were interpreted by using SPSS instrument to investigate pre-, mid-, and post- learning difference. The qualitative data presented the course effectiveness by looking into teacher reflections, student interviews, and reflections on course evaluation. The findings indicated: (1) PBL as an underpinning teaching method helped the participants engage, and (2) PBL, bringing in real-world issues, was embraced and considered an option to be adapted in EFL business courses.
Synchronous (Onsite) Designing an Effective Business Communication Course for Workplace-ready EFL College Students more
Sun, Apr 30, 14:00-14:25 Asia/Seoul
The five key elements of business communication include practical, factual, concise and clear, and persuasive (Taylor, 2012). College EFL students, anticipating to carry out business communication effectively, rely on courses designed to incorporate the targeted elements. However, few studies were targeted at English for Specific Purposes, shedding light on business English particularly. This study aims to describe how an advanced business communication course should be prepared in the EFL context and report how effective its possible teaching activities will include. The study utilized questionnaire to elicit students’ expectations, and interviews to collect suggestions from the teachers, potential employers, and alumni. Three research questions—(1) What urgent skills will students learn most? (2) What activity types do students expect to see? (3) What will constitute effective business communication for EFL college students?—are used to guide this study. The findings suggested presentation and email-writing outweighed others, deserving immediate attention.
