A Study of Fostering Technical College Students' English Proficiency through a TOEIC Training Course

MUIR > College of Human Ecology > Department of Applied Foreign Languages > Conference Papers > Item 987654321/1149

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://ir.meiho.edu.tw/ir/handle/987654321/1149

Title:	A Study of Fostering Technical College Students' English Proficiency through a TOEIC Training Course
Authors:	Li, Chiung-Li Haggard, Sandy
Contributors:	Associate professor, Applied Foreign Languages Department, Meiho University;Lecturer, Applied Foreign Languages Department, Meiho University
Keywords:	TOEIC;English proficiency;technical college
Date:	2011-05
Issue Date:	2011-09-23
Abstract:	English is an international language. In order for Taiwanese college students to be competitive in the world career market, they must be able to have adequate English skills. To face this challenge, the Taiwan government has advocated ways for college students to increase their English ability. One effective step toward this goal is for students to earn an English certificate prior to graduating from college. Therefore, it seems necessary for many college students to enhance their English proficiency. The purpose of this study was to develop technical college students’ English proficiency through a TOEIC training course. The researchers used two mock tests of TOEIC as the research instrument. The subjects of this project were 42 technical college students at Meiho University. First, the subjects took a mock test of TOEIC as the pretest. Then, the researchers analyzed the pretest and found the subjects’ average listening score and reading score were 130.4 and 131.3, respectively, and the total was 261.7, which was below 350—the criterion of passing. Next, the researchers provided the subjects with a 60-hour TOEIC training course. After the training course, the subjects took another mock test of TOEIC as the posttest, and answered some questions about taking the TOEIC training program. Then the researchers analyzed the posttest and found the subjects’ average listening score and reading scores were 171.3 and 170.4, respectively, and the total was 340.1, which was still slightly lower than the criterion of passing of 350. Upon comparing the pretest and post-test, the researchers found the subjects’ listening and reading abilities increased 30.6% and 29.8%, respectively. Though the total score in the posttest did not reach the criterion of passing; those participants showed their vocabulary and listening ability increased significantly, and they demonstrated more clarity regarding grammatical concepts after the training course. In other words, though the TOEIC training course did not effectively increase the subjects’ English proficiency as much as the researchers expected; the participants did make good progress. Overall, it is still worth providing students similar training programs to enhance students’ English proficiency.
Relation:	2011 International Conference on ELT Technological Industry 2011英語教學科技產業國際研討會
Appears in Collections:	[Department of Applied Foreign Languages] Conference Papers

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File	Description	Size	Format
TOEIC paper _NPUST_20110421.pdf	A Study of Technical College Students' English Learning Motivation in Southern Taiwan	102Kb	Adobe PDF	7534	View/Open

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