SLIIT International Conference on Advancements in Science and Humanities [SICASH]
Permanent URI for this communityhttps://rda.sliit.lk/handle/123456789/311
SLIIT International Conference on Advancements in Science and Humanities is organized by the Faculty of Humanities and Sciences of the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), the annual research multi-conference of the faculty.
Browse
4 results
Search Results
Publication Open Access Investigating the Effectiveness of Shadowing as a Listening Technique in Enhancing Listening Comprehension of Undergraduate English as a Second Language Learners(Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2025-10-10) Liyanage, TShadowing is an advanced language learning technique that learners can use independently to improve their intonation and pronunciation. Through this technique, the learners are allowed to listen to a model (i.e., a video or audio of someone speaking) and repeat what is said in real-time. Unlike in the listenpause- repeat method of yesteryear, here one precisely repeats every utterance, sound by sound, wordby word, immediately after they are heard. Based on an experiment involving shadowing, this study examines the impact of shadowing on enhancing listening comprehension among a group of undergraduate English as a Second Language (ESL) learners in the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Kelaniya. The research employed a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative data through pre- and post-tests and structured interviews to evaluate the efficacy of shadowing in enhancing learners’ listening comprehension skills, while also documenting their perceptions of shadowing as a listening technique. The quantitative findings from the independent sample t-tests indicated a substantial enhancement of the listening comprehension scores during the post-test, with mean scores of 8.10 for the experimental group and 5.50 for the control group. The statistical study validated the importance of these techniques (p = 0.000). The qualitative results gathered from interviews highlighted the students’ initial scepticism and curiosity, increased focus and active engagement in listening, improvement in listening speed and word recognition, enhancement of their pronunciation and intonation, and the positive impact shadowing had on their listening comprehension test performance as the emerging themes. These results underscore the pedagogical value of shadowing as a listening technique under an interactive and cognitively engaging approach to ESL listening instruction. Hence, this study adds to the existing literature on listening instruction and provides practical implications for ESL instructors seeking to integrate the shadowing technique into their teaching practices.Publication Open Access Weekly Paragraph Writing in Enhancing ESL Writing Confidence: A Classroombased Action Research Focused on Engineering Students(Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2025-10-10) Maheshika, H. G. P.Effective written communication is vital in engineering education, particularly for ESL (English as a Second Language) learners who face additional challenges in articulating the technical content in their assignments. This study investigates the pedagogical impact of weekly paragraph writing on ESL engineering students’ writing confidence and performance. Addressing the lack of sustained, lowstakes writing opportunities within technical curricula, the study was conducted as a five-week classroom-based action research intervention at a government technical institute in Sri Lanka. The research aimed to (1) assess whether short-form writing tasks could improve the students’ academic writing confidence and (2) evaluate the feasibility of integrating writing into large, discipline-diverse ESL classrooms. The participants included 25–30 second-year students from eight engineering disciplines. The data were collected through weekly student paragraphs, instructor field notes, feedback logs, and pre- and post-intervention surveys. A thematic content analysis revealed steady improvements in their paragraphs in terms of structure, coherence, and grammar. The mean scoresincreased from 3.43 to 3.79 over five weeks, with further gains observed in the revised drafts. While the students showed modest gains in self-reported confidence, many valued the opportunity to practice writing in a technical context. The findings support the integration of short, structured writing tasks into technical education as a low-cost, scalable strategy for language development. The study highlights the importance of scaffolding, formative feedback, and peer review in fostering learner autonomy and writing fluency. It contributes a practical, replicable model for embedding language instruction into engineering curricula, especially in multilingual and resource-constrained environments.Publication Open Access Exploring Subject-Verb Agreement Challenges in the Writing of ESL Learners: An Action Research Study in Sri Lanka(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2023-11-01) Abeywickrama, D.D.; Amaraweera, SThis study is an action research that is conducted to improve the quality of the writings of students in an international school in the Kalutara district. The students make errors related to subject-verb agreement which is an essential component in mastering the English language. They are not mistakes, instead they are errors because the students are not in a state of understanding them on their own. Further, the students are unaware of the grammar rules. Errors occur due to lack of awareness of these specific grammar rules. However, English as a second language (ESL) learners struggle immensely in mastering subjectverb agreement. This study mainly centers around three error types such as the subject is a list of two or more nouns, the subject is an indefinite pronoun, and the subject agrees with the nearest noun in paired conjunctions. The sample consists of twenty-six students from a grade 08 class of an international school in the Western province of Sri Lanka. A pretest was used to collect data. The main objective of this research is to upgrade the writing skills of grade 8 students, in terms of grammatical accuracy. The use of scaffolding exercises enables the students to understand the grammatical rules clearly and makes them apply the rules correctly. Action research itself is a research design that assists to solve the problems related to the field of education. The problem was identified at first and the intervention was carried out accordingly. Finally, the results were obtained. The difference in mean values of the pre-test and the posttest proves the significant improvements in the writings of the students. Therefore, ESL learners require the necessary guidance and instructions through creative approaches to language learning which creates a learner-friendly environment to become competent writers of English.Publication Open Access A Needs Analysis in Second Language Teaching (English Language): A Study on Grade 10,11 Students in the Sri Jayawardenapura Educational Zone(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2023-11-01) Boteju, T; Rathnasena, UThe purpose of this study is to investigate the needs of English language learners in grades 10 and 11 who attend schools in the Colombo area specifically within the Sri Jayewardenepura Educational Zone. Statistics demonstrate that a significant number of students failed the Ordinary Level English paper, despite evaluations and curriculum reforms undertaken by the government. A thorough needs analysis was required to determine the causes and provide a solution to this situation. The objectives of this study are to investigate the purpose of students learning English as a second language, to conduct a needs analysis to critically analyze the needs, necessities, and lacks in grade 10, 11 students in Colombo District, and to suggest and recommend ideas to incorporate needs analysis findings. For this mixed-method study, information is collected using questionnaires and interviews, and the quantitative data is represented through graphs and tables, while the qualitative data is shown through a theme-based analysis. Based on the outcomes of this study, it is anticipated that the current curriculum will undergo modifications and adjustments to align with the authentic needs and requirements of students, thereby ultimately achieving a high level of student proficiency.