English language learning for engineering students: Application of a visual-only video teaching strategy

Abstract

Community colleges in the USA are one of the best institutions for international students, English language learners (ELLs), non-traditional students, returning students, and those without a pass in standardised examinations to complete their two-year university coursework and an associate degree. However, the limited proficiency in English language skills has made it a hard topic for international and non-native English speakers, particularly engineering students. In this study, the application was investigated of a visual-only video teaching strategy (VOVTS) as a teaching and learning tool for English language teaching at a community college in California, USA. The results demonstrate that after the semester-long freshman English class for ELL engineering students, which incorporated the VOVTS, both the instructor and the students expressed significantly positive opinions for the teaching strategy that made use of a social media learning platform. These findings contribute to the knowledge on alternative teaching strategies through social media learning platforms for language learning classrooms for engineering students.