How to Effectively Teach English to Students in the Proficiency-Based English Classes

摘要

This paper is intended as an investigation of the effectiveness of one-semester proficiency-based classes in the Faculty of Engineering, analyzing the scores of the students by theG-TELP test (General Tests of English Language Proficiency). About 170 students in theFaculty of Engineering were divided into five classes based on the G-TELP scores as apre-test. The five classes, often called “proficiency-based classes”, consist of two upper,two intermediate and one lower class. These proficiency-based classes focused ontraining reading skill, using the appropriate English textbooks for each level. Moreoverthe students in one of the two upper classes are required to enrich their English vocabularythrough online computer activities in addition to the classroom studies. After four monthsall the students were required to take the G-TELP as a post-test. The effectiveness wasdetermined by the difference of mean scores between the pre-test and the post-test.Statistical analyses were conducted on the scores of the three sections (Grammar, Listening,and Reading) as well as the Total scores. The results suggest that proficiency-basedclasses are most effective for the lower class. As for the upper classes, the studentsrequired to complete online vocabulary exercises showed much more improvement inlistening skill as well as reading skill than the students who were not required to.