Facilitating cognitive processes during EFL smartwatch‐supported learning activities in authentic contexts

Second language writing development from a Complex Dynamic Systems Theory perspective:a multiple case-study of Hungarian learners of English

Previous studies have mainly focused on homework in courses such as math and physics with little attention to homework in EFL (English as a foreign language) classes. The main purpose of the study reported in this paper was to give a voice to both EFL teachers and learners with regard to English homework. To this end, 8 EFL teachers and 19 EFL learners took part in a semi-structured interview first. Then, based on their responses to the interview questions and a comprehensive review of the literature, a questionnaire was developed and validated to investigate EFL learners’ and teachers’ perspectives on different aspects of English homework. The questionnaire was finally completed by 283 EFL learners and 46 English teachers from two famous English institutions in Iran. Results revealed that English homework can help EFL learners with their language learning apart from enabling them to improve their reading, writing, vocabulary, and grammar. However, the homework assignments that are currently being used are not very interesting and do not help EFL learners improve all their English skills. The majority of EFL learners usually finish their homework in a hurry just before class begins; others do not spend the time that their teachers require them to spend on doing homework. English teachers should, therefore, design homework based on their students’ needs and interests as well as resort to employing modern opportunities such as online resources and self-access centers.

English as a Foreign Language (EFL) has constituted a major part of the curriculum in private and public institutions in Saudi Arabia for over eight decades. More recently, the emergence of English as a global language has made it a socially desirable language in Saudi society, as elsewhere in the world. However, despite the long history of English teaching in Saudi Arabia and the growth of the profession over the years, the overall English proficiency level of the majority of students is low and unsatisfactory. Saudi researchers have reported many reasons for the ineffectiveness of English Language Teaching (ELT) including, but not limited to, low levels of student motivation, negative attitudes toward English, a substandard English as a Foreign Language (EFL) curriculum, and inefficient teacher pedagogical practices. These problems fall into two major categories: problems related to the lwhyr of teaching and learning of EFL, and problems related to the lhowr of teaching and learning EFL. In investigating these issues, much of this research has been carried out within individual/psychological/structuralist/positivist frameworks, which has failed not only to problematize the complexity of such constructs but also to appreciate the fact that all realities are produced/(re)produced via ldiscourser. Hence, the present study investigated EFL teaching and learning practices by employing Foucauldian and poststructuralist frameworks. This study used poststructuralism not only as a theoretical lens per se, but also established it through the implemented analytical tools and textual representations of the collected data. Employing a poststructuralist discursive perspective made it possible to view EFL teaching and learning as complex social practices, interacting with the discourses of English and ELT practices available in the global as well as the local context(s). These discourses create the nexus between power and knowledge and impact on what an EFL teacher/ learner does within a classroom setting by constructing perspectives of reality through which he or she comes to understand the EFL teaching and learning process in certain ways which constitute epistemological spaces and generate particular practices. Drawing on policy documents, EFL textbooks, classroom observations, interviews with two Saudi EFL teachers, and focus group discussions with Saudi EFL students in two rural areas, the study identified seven discourses circulating within and competing across the examined discursive spaces. The first three discourses are related to English and its values, including: English as a universal language; English as the language for better employment opportunities; and English as the language for spreading religion. The remaining four discourses centred around ELT with exams as an important aspect of EFL learning and ELT; CLT as the key to success in ELT; L1 as a barrier to successful EFL learning; and EFL textbooks as an essential aspect of the processes of EFL learning and ELT. In exploring the production and (re)production of these discourses through the examination of how visibilization, normalisation, exclusionary/inclusionary acts, classification, and subject positioning as discursive strategies are employed, it was found that whether a particular discourse was made visible or invisible depended on other discourses operating across the examined discursive spaces: the social context, the policy, the textbook, the classroom, and the teachers and students. The analysis of the connection(s) and misconnection(s) between these discursive spaces demonstrated that the interplay between the different discourses constructed discursive battlegrounds, which impacted the processes of EFL teaching and learning. Through the investigation of this interplay, it was found that there was a disconnect and an ambivalent relationship between the study participantsr espoused discourses of English and their EFL teaching and learning practices, suggesting that EFL teachers and learners should not be considered lstabler figures, but rather as social agents with discursively constructed ever changing subjectivities. Furthermore, the analyses of the constructions of the discourses operating within the examined policy texts demonstrate an intra disparity and fragmentation. This was manifested in the difference between the ideals of the EFL curriculum and the institutionally imposed regulating techniques, that is, examinations and teachersr assessment practices which had negative effects on EFL teaching and learning dynamics. Additionally, as a consequence of the competition between the different sources of discursive constructions, I found that there was a gulf between the EFL policies and the enactment of these policies in EFL teaching and learning dynamics in the observed EFL classrooms. The findings of this study also indicate that if a discourse promoted through the policy is mediated by discourses operating in the larger societal context, it became more visible in teaching and learning practices as compared to other discourses that did not have social moorings. This suggests that taking the prevailing social expectations into account at the stage of developing any policy is of paramount importance.nThe study concludes with a discussion of the implications of the interplay of connections and misconnections between competing discourses across different spaces in Saudi educational settings for improving the EFL teaching/learning environments in Saudi Arabia and other similar contexts.n

Digital literacy plays a crucial role in language learning. However, the relationship between digital literacy and engagement in English as a foreign language (EFL) learning remains unclear. Furthermore, the factors that moderate this link are not well understood. This study explored the connection between digital literacy and learning engagement among EFL learners, with particular attention to the moderating role of teacher support, as framed by social support theory. A total of 1,582 secondary school students from China participated in the research, providing self-reported data on digital literacy, learning engagement, teacher support, and demographic information. Multiple regression analysis revealed that after controlling for age, gender, and socioeconomic status, digital literacy positively predicted engagement in EFL learning. Moderation analysis indicated that teacher support significantly moderated this relationship. Specifically, the relationship between digital literacy and learning engagement was stronger when teacher support is high, or teacher support helped students with lower digital literacy become more engaged in EFL learning. These findings contribute to the application of social support theory in EFL education and have important implications for EFL teaching and learning practices.

Purpose: This paper presents findings of a classroom-based research project that investigated the use of plurilingual tasks in the English as a foreign language (EFL) teaching context. The project aimed at examining a) the impact of the use of plurilingual tasks on language learning processes and learners' identity construction and b) the pedagogical gaps that need to be addressed in language teacher education. This paper focuses specifically on the first research question. Design/methodology: The project was carried out in the form of five case studies conducted in four primary schools and one secondary school in Germany. Research data were collected via a variety of ethnographic research instruments namely classroom observations and field notes, video recording of school lessons, in-depth interviews with teachers, teachers' reflective journals, anonymous questionnaires, and learner focus group interviews. Research findings: Drawing upon Darvin and Norton's (2015) concept of investment, the paper discusses research findings indicating that the use of plurilingual tasks had a positive impact on the EFL learners' investment in language learning activities. Originality/Value: The main implication that can be drawn from the findings is that the effective integration of plurilingual-inspired pedagogies in the foreign language classroom does not involve necessarily a drastic reformulation of learning goals and teaching procedures, but mainly a change in teachers' attitudes towards plurilingualism in the classroom.

Instruction in English as a foreign language (EFL) learning is a priority around the globe, but instructional methodologies have not always kept pace with the changing needs of learners. The traditional teacher-centered EFL classroom teaching model can no longer meet the needs of college EFL learners to strengthen and improve their language ability. For years, the flipped classroom teaching model has been widely recognized as an innovative and effective instructional method by language educators. Based upon the analysis of the current EFL teaching and learning situation and the flipped classroom teaching model, the author took two Artificial Intelligent classes from a Chinese public college as the participants in the experiment to explore the impact of the flipped classroom teaching model on their language learning. One Artificial Intelligent class, the Experimental Group (EG), adopted the flipped classroom teaching model in EFL class, and the other Artificial Intelligent class, the Control Group (CG), adopted the traditional teacher-centered method in EFL class. After the survey, implementation of different teaching models, pre-test and post-test comparison, learning time changing curve analysis, and analysis of learners’ acceptance of the new model, the study aims to find out the impact of the flipped classroom teaching model on college EFL learners’ language learning attitudes, perceptions and performance, providing some references for college EFL educators on their EFL teaching to a certain extent.

Computer-assisted language learning (CALL) has opened new opportunities for language instructors to develop their use of technology and implement new teaching practices focused on learners. The increased use of technology in language learning means instructors can play a key role in motivating learners by integrating readily available technologies for language learning development into their teaching practices. The focus of this present investigation is to explore the attitudes of Saudi instructors teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) regarding the implementation of mobile-assisted language learning (MALL). The target population for this study was Saudi EFL instructors who are currently teaching English in Saudi Arabia. The research methods for the study included a questionnaire, as well as in-depth interviews that were conducted to explore the attitudes of EFL instructors. The results of the survey questionnaire and interviews revealed moderately positive attitudes among participants regarding the use of mobile phones for language learning and teaching activities. The findings also indicate the existence of some challenges that could prove to be a significant hurdle for mobile phone integration in EFL learning and teaching in Saudi Arabia. Most of the instructors reported that they do not use mobile phones or MALL activities in their EFL classes. The results also showed that EFL teachers do not have the required skills to use/develop MALL activities. This study concludes by offering recommendations and suggestions for how to implement MALL and remove potential barriers to MALL implementation in EFL instruction.
 Keywords: EFL, MALL, EFL Instructors’ attitudes towards MALL, Challenges for MALL

Syntactic Complexity at the Intermediate Level in EFL Writing by Early Balanced Bilinguals

Research suggests that successful language learning requires learners to utilize effective cognitive, behavioral and affective language learning strategies (LLS). Under the impetus of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, English as a Foreign Language (EFL) proficiency in an essential for adequately preparing the workforce of the future. This creates an imperative for LLs researchers to provide a contextualized and nuanced picture of the EFL learning experiences of tertiary-level Saudi EFL learners and their strategy-use. Thus, the aim of the present paper was to review LLs research within the Saudi and parallel Arab contexts to detect predominant themes, trends and gaps. To this end, 16 relevant studies undertaken between 2012-2023 were identified. The review found that the studies were largely focused on identifying perceptions and attitudes towards LLs amongst students and deployed mostly quantitative methodologies. They predominantly strove to confirm earlier studies rather than to pursue exploratory or intervention-based research trajectories that could provide deeper insights or deploy strategy-use research to address challenges faced by the learners. Based on the above, the present paper suggests an urgent need for Arab LLs researchers (particularly in the Saudi context) to undertake contextualized and actionable research of benefit to Arab (and Saudi) EFL practitioners and learners. Keywords: Language learning strategies, EFL learning, Vision 2023, Social contexts

BackgroundThe impact of digital gamified language learning on language achievement has been corroborated in the literature; however, its impact on language achievement, especially in the English as a foreign language (EFL) context needs further investigation. In addition, the related literature has not sufficiently confirmed the impact of digital gamified language learning on some psychological domains of EFL learning.ObjectivesThis study, therefore, employed a sequential explanatory mixed‐methods approach to explore the effects of digital gamified language learning using a mobile application (app) affordances on EFL learners' language achievement, foreign language enjoyment (FLE), and ideal second language (L2) self.MethodsTo this end, 36 EFL learners were randomly divided into two groups; one group was randomly assigned to the digital class, including 19 EFL learners, and the other group was assigned to the non‐digital class, consisting of 17 EFL learners. The digital learners did the digital gamified language learning activities individually and interactively and received peer and instructor feedback, whilst the non‐digital learners did the same language learning activities in printed format and received peer and instructor feedback. A language achievement test, the FLE scale, and the ideal L2 self‐scale were used to collect the quantitative data and an individual semi‐structured interview was carried out to gather the qualitative data.Results and ConclusionsOne‐way ANCOVA, used to analyse the quantitative data, revealed that the digital and non‐digital classes improved the EFL learners' language achievement, FLE, and ideal L2 self; however, the digital learners outperformed their non‐digital counterparts in all the measures. Thematic analysis, utilised to analyse the qualitative data, uncovered some themes about the digital learners' positive and negative attitudes and perceptions towards the digital gamified language learning activities, clarifying the quantitative findings.ImplicationsPedagogical implications are discussed.

The integration of computer in the service of FL (Foreign Language) learning is expected to be inevitable in the future. It is seemingly due to (a) its considerable affordances for EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners, (b) the characteristics of today�s learners as the Generation Z (Gonz�lez-Lloret & Ortega, 2014), and (c) the widespread use of the internet in the 21st century. This situation then leads to transforming CALL (Computer-Assisted Language Learning) into WFLL (Web-Facilitated Language Learning) as an alternative paradigm for EFL teachers and learners. Furthermore, TBLT (Task-Based Language Teaching) is likely to serve as a pedagogical framework in designing the Web for the purpose of FL learning. The present study was therefore mainly aimed at (a) developing a particularly teacher-designed learning website, namely I Love Indonesia, and (b) investigating high school learners of English in Indonesia with different attitudes towards CALL (positive/moderate/negative) in correlation with how they perceive WFLL (agree/disagree) and perform web-based activities. Descriptive Statistics, IF Function in Excel, Correlation Analysis, and Independent-samples t-test were employed in the study. Finally, the findings of the study showed that (a) the website seems to benefit EFL learners in some certain aspects, and (b) positive attitude learners are likely to perceive more positively (agree) than moderate and negative attitude learners (disagree) on the use of the website for the purpose of language learning. A greater number of learners over a longer period of time should be taken into account when conducting further studies on the effectiveness of the website for EFL learners in order to be able to shed some light on learners� language development.�Keyword: attitude, perception, task-based language teaching, web-facilitated language learning

This research aims to investigate the use behavior, attitudes, and experiences of individuals regarding mobile technologies in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning. The study focuses on six different mobile technology platforms: commercial applications for learning English, applications developed by the faculty, department, or university, websites for accessing materials or information. Additionally, the research explores individuals' attitudes towards using the Baicizhan Apps and their experiences with the app. The research design involves a questionnaire-based survey administered to a sample of participants. The questionnaire comprises three sections: Use Behavior (UB), Attitude on Use Behavior (AUB), and Experience on Use Behavior (EUB). The UB section assesses participants' engagement in various mobile technology platforms for EFL learning. The AUB section evaluates their attitudes towards using the Baicizhan Apps, specifically focusing on the perceived benefits and satisfaction with the app's assistance in daily writing performance. The EUB section examines participants' familiarity with the Baicizhan Apps and their completion and submission of compositions. The data collected from the survey will be analyzed using descriptive statistics to identify patterns and trends in use behavior, attitudes, and experiences. The findings will provide insights into the extent to which individuals utilize different mobile technology platforms for EFL learning and their perceptions of the Baicizhan Apps. The research outcomes will contribute to understanding the factors influencing individuals' choices and preferences in utilizing mobile technologies for language learning purposes. This research is significant as it sheds light on the current landscape of mobile technology use in EFL learning and provides valuable implications for educators, curriculum designers, and app developers. The results will aid in the development of effective strategies to enhance the integration of mobile technologies in language learning environments and improve user experiences. Ultimately, this research aims to contribute to the advancement of mobile-assisted language learning practices and inform future developments in the field.

The integration of computer in the service of FL (Foreign Language) learning is expected to be inevitable in the future. It is seemingly due to (a) its considerable affordances for EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners, (b) the characteristics of today’s learners as the Generation Z (Gonzalez-Lloret & Ortega, 2014), and (c) the widespread use of the internet in the 21 st century. This situation then leads to transforming CALL (Computer-Assisted Language Learning) into WFLL (Web-Facilitated Language Learning) as an alternative paradigm for EFL teachers and learners. Furthermore, TBLT (Task-Based Language Teaching) is likely to serve as a pedagogical framework in designing the Web for the purpose of FL learning. The present study was therefore mainly aimed at (a) developing a particularly teacher-designed learning website, namely I Love Indonesia, and (b) investigating high school learners of English in Indonesia with different attitudes towards CALL (positive/moderate/negative) in correlation with how they perceive WFLL (agree/disagree) and perform web-based activities. Descriptive Statistics, IF Function in Excel, Correlation Analysis, and Independent-samples t-test were employed in the study. Finally, the findings of the study showed that (a) the website seems to benefit EFL learners in some certain aspects, and (b) positive attitude learners are likely to perceive more positively (agree) than moderate and negative attitude learners (disagree) on the use of the website for the purpose of language learning. A greater number of learners over a longer period of time should be taken into account when conducting further studies on the effectiveness of the website for EFL learners in order to be able to shed some light on learners’ language development. Keyword : attitude, perception, task-based language teaching, web-facilitated language learning

There is an increasing concern on how to meet the needs of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners with visual impairments. Existing literature has explored how visually-impaired EFL learners participate in learning activities within the formal classroom. However, there is a lack of research examining their out-of-class language learning (OCLL) activities. Therefore, anchored on Benson's (2011) concept of OCLL, a qualitative case study was conducted to investigate the OCLL behaviors of a proficient visually impaired EFL learner. Through personal interviews and journal writings, the study identified three primary stages of OCLL activities that the participant went through: the initial exposure to English, the early production of English, and the development of communication skills. The study revealed that the participant transitioned from passive to active learning by effectively exploring the locus of control and combining a physical and online learning environment. Additionally, the social dimension, encompassing peer interaction and support, helped the participant in optimizing their learning outcomes.

Advancement of social media in the modern era provides a good incentive for researchers to unleash the potential of social networking (SN) tools in order to improve education. Despite the significant role of social media in affecting second/foreign language (L2) learning processes, few empirical studies have tried to find out how Instagram feed-based tasks affect learning grammar structure. To fill this lacuna of research, the current study set forth to delve into the influence of Instagram feed-based tasks on learning grammar among English as a foreign language (EFL) learners. In so doing, a sample of 84 intermediate EFL learners were randomly divided into experimental and control groups. The learners in the control group received regular online instruction via webinar platforms. In contrast, the learners in the experimental group were exposed to Instagram feed-based tasks. Data inspection applying one-way ANCOVA indicated that the learners in the experimental group outperformed their counterparts in the control group. The results highlighted the significant contributions of Instagram feed-based tasks in fostering learning grammar. Furthermore, EFL learners’ positive attitudes toward using Instagram Feed-based Tasks in Learning Grammar was concluded. The implications of this study may redound to the benefits of language learners, teachers, curriculum designers, as well as policy makers in providing opportunities for further practice of Instagram feed-based tasks in language learning and teaching.