International Student Exchange Influence on an Indonesian EFL Student’s Speaking Confidence

A Discursive Lens on English Language Teaching and Learning in Saudi Arabia

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.

Cooperative Learning (CL) in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context: investigating, learning outcomes, processes, and experiences

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

By examining relevant research articles published in reputable journals or conference proceedings in 2013-2020, the literature review article attempted to shed light on the areas: (1) contributions of thematic progression to the coherence and cohesion quality of EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners’ writing, (2) EFL learners’ problems regarding thematic progression in their writing, and (3) research on pedagogical implications of thematic progression on teaching writing. While there have been extensive studies on thematic progression, it remained intriguing to investigate the extent to which this topic had been explored by scholars, particularly in the context of English as a foreign language. The previous studies had consistently confirmed the following results: (1) thematic progression contributes to the coherence and cohesion quality of EFL learners’ writing, (2) problematic thematic progression in EFL learners’ writing included the emergence of the brand new theme, double rheme, empty rheme, empty theme, overuse of constant theme pattern, overwhelming selection of textual theme, and (3) some studies evidenced good results of integrating thematic progression in teaching writing. The research suggests that further research develops a more detailed and systematic procedure of teaching thematic progression in a specific EFL teaching-learning context by integrating thematic progression theory with English language teaching materials. Furthermore, the research calls for more experimental research on teaching thematic progression to determine the significance of this method in enhancing students’ writing quality.

Data-driven learning (DDL) form-focused tasks are a relatively new concept. These tasks involve using concordance lines to teach language in a way that integrates discovery learning, authentic language use, consciousness-raising, and the communicative use of language. Given their novelty, there haven’t been many studies on how they impact learners’ engagement. Therefore, this study sought to study whether DDL form-focused tasks influence English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ task engagement. A total of 114 Iranian EFL learners were randomly divided between comparison and intervention groups in a study that utilized an experimental (comparison group, pretest, and post-test) design within a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design. The comparison group completed 10 non-DDL form-focused tasks, whereas the intervention group completed 10 DDL form-focused tasks. The results of t-tests and repeated-measures ANOVA indicated that incorporating DDL form-focused tasks into English classes enhanced EFL learners’ task engagement in the short run. However, the impact of DDL form-focused tasks on EFL learners’ task engagement was not durable. Moreover, analyzing semi-structured interview data suggested that using DDL-enhanced tasks with a form-focused approach increases EFL learners’ task engagement by triggering their curiosity, improving their autonomy, enhancing their concentration and interest, and facilitating their discovery learning. The present study lends more credence to the application of such tasks. The paper ends with implications for English language teaching and materials development.

Most studies about figurative language learning focus on metaphor rather than metonymy; however, the interactions of metonymy and metaphor are so intricate that the boundary forms not a dichotomy but a continuum. Such a continuum and its influences on figurative language learning have not been studied in depth. The present study investigates EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners’ responses to different metonymic and metaphoric expressions. Twenty-eight Taiwanese EFL learners participated in the study, which asked them to rate 40 sentences based on their certainty of figurative language use. The results show that EFL learners were capable of distinguishing between sentences with and without figurative expressions, and were more certain in judging metaphoric expressions than metonymic ones. Moreover, they found it easier to recognise expressions of the emotion anger than those of other topics. Their performances indicate that EFL learners are able to use their shared experiences to identify figurative language uses. This study suggests that it may be beneficial to integrate ideas of conceptual metonymy and metaphor to raise learners’ awareness of abstract but universal concepts involved in figurative expressions.

The study investigated how group-dynamics instruction techniques of adaptable nature can be to the benefit of EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners so as to develop and improve their willingness- to- communicate and speaking- ability in the long run. After analyzing the data via ANCOVA and EFA, the researcher selected 108 young Iranian male and female EFL learners in a language school in Tehran by means of convenient sampling technique. This investigation shows how EFL learners reacted to Group-Dynamics Oriented Instruction (GDOI). Later, the researchers instructed speaking tasks along with improving the learner’s willingness to communicate. TOEFL PBT Test was run among participants for homogeneity purposes, and then the researchers used two parallel speaking section of PET test along with WTC questionnaire before and after the treatment process. The findings of the study bore witness to hypotheses of the study, indicating that GDOI was reliably effective in improving speaking ability and uplifting willingness to communicate. In the same line of analysis, the researcher proved that GDOI has improved EFL learner’s willingness to communicate since GDOI provoked and triggered energy, interest, and inclination to partake in discussions in learners. As its effects on speaking ability were concerned, the results were interpreted as showing that GDOI would exert changes to L2 learners’ conceptual and psychological predispositions that, in return, would determine the strategies and behaviors the learners employ to address the challenges of L2 learning.

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

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

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

EFL/ESL teachers have used digital communication activities to teach language skills. However, the effect of digital communication activities on EFL learners' Willingness to Communicate (WTC) in classrooms and learner engagement has yet to be well investigated. This study examined the influence of digital communication activities on the engagement and willingness to communicate of intermediate English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. It also assessed the potential advantages of integrating digital communication into language learning contexts. A mixed-methods approach involving pretest-posttest comparisons and qualitative interviews was employed. In the quantitative phase, four intact classes of 80 intermediate Chinese EFL learners were recruited and assigned to control and experimental groups. They attempted the scales (WTC and engagement) before and after treatment. However, 20 EFL learners exposed to digital communication activities were interviewed. The research revealed notable enhancements in affective, cognitive, and behavioral engagement among the experimental group. Moreover, a substantial positive effect on EFL learners' willingness to communicate was observed, particularly in speaking, writing, reading, and comprehension activities. Findings have practical implications for EFL teachers and learners to use digital communication activities to enhance the learners' WTC in the classroom and different aspects of engagement.

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.

Implementing a best course of action to boost English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ motivation to speak has been a controversial issue among EFL instructors. The present study aims to investigate the probable impact of Harmer’s ESA (Engagement, Study, and Activate) elements implementation on motivation of EFL learners to speak. To meet this objective, first, the pre-treatment questionnaire was delivered to 15 EFL learners at the beginning of the term to measure ‘input motivation’. After collecting information from the pre-treatment questionnaire, the students were taught for nearly two months by applying ESA elements, and then the post-treatment questionnaire was given to the same students to gather information of students’ motivation changes, students’ attitudes towards techniques and activities applied by teachers and their preferences. Additionally, to triangulate the results, a Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient was run to see if there is any relationship between the learners’ speaking performance and their motivation to speak. In sum, the results of the questionnaires and correlation analysis proved that the treatment of the learners via ESA approach was quite influential in boosting EFL learners’ motivation to speak. It is expected that the findings of the study may significantly contribute to work of EFL teachers, EFL learners, policy makers, supervisors and researchers.

Augmented reality (AR) is capable of providing students with proper situated scaffolding via overlaying rich media objects on the real‐world learning context. This paper examines the potential of AR to address existing problems with insufficient scaffolding in video learning materials for English as a foreign language (EFL) learners. Thus, an AR video‐enhanced learning (ARVEL) method was designed to assist students’ EFL learning. Furthermore, an experiment was carried out to investigate the influences of the implemented method on students' EFL learning outcomes. The experimental results displayed that the ARVEL method significantly improved the students' learning achievements and intrinsic motivation, and enhanced their satisfaction with EFL learning, compared to the students learning EFL with conventional video‐based learning. Practitioner Notes What is already known about this topic Learning experience of English as a foreign language (EFL) is highly related to the experience in actual learning contexts. The significance of providing students with proper assistance in a situated learning environment has been emphasized. Just observing videos might be inadequate for advancing students' reflection on learning tasks in video‐based learning. What this paper adds An augmented reality (AR) video‐enhanced learning method was proposed to assist students' EFL learning. An AR video‐enhanced learning (ARVEL) system was designed based on the implemented method. It was evidenced that the implemented method effectively improved students' learning achievements and motivation. The students display a higher degree of satisfaction with EFL learning than with the video‐enhanced learning method. Implications for practice and/or policy The ARVEL method could be a good reference for implementing an EFL learning environment. More kinds of assistance could be designed as scaffolding for assisting students' EFL learning. It is worth probing the influences of the ARVEL on students' learning of more abstract vocabulary and concepts.