Browsing by Author "Dineshika, H.K.P."

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Examining the factors influencing English as a Second Language learning: A teacher's perspective in the case of Walasmulla Educational Zone, Hambantota District, Sri Lanka
(KALAM International Research Journal Faculty of Arts and Culture South Eastern University of Sri Lanka, 2024) Dineshika, H.K.P.
This study investigates the factors influencing English as a Second Language (ESL) learning from teachers' perspective in the Walasmulla Educational Zone, Hambantota District, Sri Lanka. Recognizing the challenges students face in learning English, it seeks to answer these key research questions: a) What psychological factors influence ESL learning in Walassmulla Educational Zone? b) What social factors affect ESL learning in the same context? and c) What are the teachers’ recommendations for addressing these challenges in the selected context? The study used qualitative data from fifteen randomly selected English language teachers. Data was collected through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, while thematic analysis was employed for qualitative data analysis. The results revealed that psychological factors, such as students' shyness, fear of speaking, negative teacher evaluations, and lack of confidence and motivation, significantly hindered ESL learning. Additionally, social factors like classroom behaviour, exposure to the language, family background, and the perception of English as merely a subject further affected their progress. The study highlights practical recommendations to address these psychological and social barriers, offering insights into overcoming the challenges of learning English in the Sri Lankan context. This research underscores the importance of addressing psychological and social factors in enhancing ESL education.
Using English Songs and Poems to teach vocabulary for the learners of English as a Second Language
(Proceedings of the Undergraduate Research Symposium (HUG 2019), Department of English Language Teaching, Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2019) Dineshika, H.K.P.
Vocabulary is an important aspect of teaching and learning a language, especially in teaching and learning a second language or a foreign language. Lexical Approach by Lewis (1993) contains a taxonomy of lexical items which shows what kind of vocabulary the learner should develop. When learning vocabulary, the aspects of pronunciation, meaning spelling and grammar should also be taught. In that case, there have been various strategies to teach and learn vocabulary in the English as a Second Language (ESL) context. This study investigated whether the use of English songs and poems to teach vocabulary for the Secondary level ESL learners enhances their vocabulary learning in the ESL classroom. This study provided an answer to the research question “To what extent do English songs and poems increase students‟ vocabulary enhancement at the secondary level?” and claimed two hypotheses a) The use of English songs in more effective in teaching vocabulary than using English poems. b) There is a significant difference in using songs and poems in grade 6 than in grade 10. Twenty-five students from each class from grade 6 and grade 10 at H/ WeeraketiyaRajapaksha Central College participated in the study. The data was collected using the pretests, posttests, and delayed tests. The data was analyzed using SPSS. The findings indicated that both songs and poems have a positive effect on the enhancement of vocabulary knowledge at the secondary level. In both grades, songs are more effective in teaching vocabulary than poems. In general, the findings will indicative of the effectiveness of the usage of English songs and poems to teach and learn vocabulary for the secondary level ESL learners though teachers did not pay much attention to its usage, hence, the need of teachers‟ training on using this strategy to teach vocabulary is indicative.
Using multimodal texts to enhance learner engagement during online classes
(Faculty of Graduate Studies - University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2021) Dineshika, H.K.P.
The dynamic nature of technology has influenced the field of education and it is evident during the Covid 19 pandemic situation. The multimodal approach on literacy is based on the assumption that meanings are made through many representational and communicational resources which encompass linguistic, visual, audio, gestural and special designs. Therefore, the use of multimodal texts in language classrooms especially the ones based on technology has shed light on the prospect of bringing all the means of meaning-making into effective methods of learning. Thus, a shift in the literacy pedagogy from conventional teaching approaches to contemporary teaching approaches by enabling integration of technology into English as Second Language (ESL) classroom is essential. Therefore, the teachers can incorporate various multimodal texts into their lessons especially in the online class context to motivate their students and enhance learner engagement. Thus, this research study is attempted to identify the effectiveness of incorporation of varied multimodal texts types for different purposes of the lessons to enhance learner engagement in the virtual classroom during the Covid pandemic situation in Sri Lanka which is consisted of two research questions; a) How the use of multimodal text can enhance learners’ engagement in the lessons? b) What are the learners’ perceptions about the use of varied types of multimodal texts in the virtual ESL classroom? The study was carried out using action research with both quantitative and qualitative instruments for one month time period. The sample was 35 students from grade 10 at H/Thalawa Vidyalaya. All the teaching sessions integrated various multimodal texts that are appropriate for both learners and the lesson objectives. Each lesson was consisted of at least one multimodal text. The lessons were created to teach at least one aspect of four language skills, grammar or vocabulary. The Google classroom, presentations slides, videos, Padlet, Slido, Google forms, chat options (Zoom and WhatsApp) were incorporated into lessons. The quantitative data were gathered through a survey distributed through Google forms. The qualitative data were gathered through questionnaires, semi-structured interviews. Moreover, the observations and reviewing students work were used as the data collection methods to further affirm the findings. The gathered quantitative data from questionnaires were analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). As the learners have responded in their mother tongue before the qualitative data analysis those responses were translated into English without any meaning changing. Later those qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Through this study, it is found that the use of learner-friendly and familiar multimodal text types could enhance learner engagement highly and the learners have a positive attitude towards the use of various multimodal text types for different purposes in the language classroom. The results of the present study will make the teachers aware of the value and effectiveness of using varied multimodal text types in their English classroom especially during the virtual class as a strategy to enhance the learner motivation, interest and engagement with the lesson.