Psycholinguistic Strategies for Developing Listening Skills: Online Assessment and Student Perception in The Indian ESL Context

Communicative approach to language teaching has been widely recognized in the field of second language acquisition (SLA) over past decades. Currently, in various types of language institutions over the world, including universities and colleges, language teachers and curriculum researchers have advocated communication-oriented teaching syllabus, admitting that it is more effective ways for improving students’ communication skills. The successful language use for communication presupposes the development of communicative competence in the users of that language and that the use of language is constrained by the socio-cultural norms of the society where the language is used. The paper examines the use of educational videos from the TED-Ed platform for the development of communicative competence in students who study English as a foreign language (EFL). Effective communication is critical to building and maintaining healthy relationships. It is about how to keep your audience engaged when you deliver that presentation, a way to connect more authentically with others. TED Talks are seen as a quick way to learn from experts, and from the people who are brave enough to share what they have learned with the rest of audience.The problem of using educational videos is relevant in connection with the need to adapt and use the positive developments of EFL teachers, high priority of communivative competence in teaching English, the need to take into account the increasing role of the didactic principle of clarity as well as greater methodological potential of educational video compared to audio recordings. Some foreign researchers, for example, B. Bal-Gezegina and L. Bajrami examined the problems of using educational videos in general. J. Keddie and M. Mallinder have proven the effectiveness of using TED-Ed materials for overall development. As for Russian scientists, A.M. Ivanova and E.V. Malygina have developed recommendations for working with TED-Ed in teaching EFL. At the moment, there is a lack of technology for using TED-Ed video, which is adequate to the degree of communicative competence development in EFL students of different level. The paper aims at revealing the dual methodological potential of educational video (as a source of information and as a sample of a monologue / dialogue utterance), considering the features of video from the TED-Ed platform from the point of view of communicative competence development (features of TED-talks, features of animated video, general video features). Then the author analyzes a few domestic teaching materials for the use of educational videos as a means of developing communicative competence and collects the base of educational videos from the TED-Ed platform to develop the technology of their use as a means of developing communicative competence in EFL Bachelor students. The significance of the paper lies in a) opportunities to increase student involvement in the educational process through the use of educational videos; b) creating technology to work with a completely free and regularly updated educational platform – TED-Ed; c) the prospect of increasing the efficiency of the process of developing the communicative competence of EFL students.

As online assessment is a rather new phenomenon, available research regarding it is limited, and most of the research in literature today examines the views of students regarding online assessment as they are one of the most important stakeholders of exams. On the other hand, although they are the basic users and practitioners of the system, studies on the views and perspectives of instructors on online assessment in the context of English as a foreign language (EFL) are limited in number. With these concerns in mind, this study aims to explore English instructors’ perspectives of online assessment in tertiary educational institutions in Turkey with regard to their general views on online assessment, along with their views on affective factors, validity, reliability, security, practicality, and the impacts of online assessment on teaching and learning. In this descriptive study, the data were collected from 302 English instructors working at English preparatory schools in various universities in Turkey through a background questionnaire and the Student Perceptions of e-Assessment Questionnaire (SPEAQ). The results show that instructors' overall perspectives on online assessment are neutral.

The global pandemic of the coronavirus illness 2019 (COVID-19) has had a disastrous effect on every industry. Furthermore, the education system is still suffering from the terrible consequences of lockdown. It caused colleges and universities to close for an extended period of time; as a result, traditional education quickly gave way to online instruction. Despite the rapid shift to online learning and assessment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is limited understanding of how EFL (English as a Foreign Language) university teachers in Iraq perceive online assessments at different stages of the pandemic. Therefore, the present study aims to explore EFL Iraqi teachers’ attitudes toward using online assessment at pre, during, post pandemic. The researchers adopted a questionnaire which divided into three parts each part contains (10) items, in order to enhance the study, the researchers used semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions which contains (5) items. The items of the questionnaire and interview designed specifically in order to study how teachers’ attitudes towards online assessments evolved over time, identifying key factors influencing their perceptions and acceptance. The data was collected from Iraqi EFL teachers chosen randomly from different universities. The data are analyzed by using descriptive statistics of SPSS 26 software program. According to the results, the researchers present some recommendations.

The global pandemic of the coronavirus illness 2019 (COVID-19) has had a disastrous effect on every industry. Furthermore, the education system is still suffering from the terrible consequences of lockdown. It caused colleges and universities to close for an extended period of time; as a result, traditional education quickly gave way to online instruction. Despite the rapid shift to online learning and assessment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is limited understanding of how EFL (English as a Foreign Language) university teachers in Iraq perceive online assessments at different stages of the pandemic. Therefore, the present study aims to explore EFL Iraqi teachers’ attitudes toward using online assessment at pre, during, post pandemic. The researchers adopted a questionnaire which divided into three parts each part contains (10) items, in order to enhance the study, the researchers used semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions which contains (5) items. The items of the questionnaire and interview designed specifically in order to study how teachers’ attitudes towards online assessments evolved over time, identifying key factors influencing their perceptions and acceptance. The data was collected from Iraqi EFL teachers chosen randomly from different universities. The data are analyzed by using descriptive statistics of SPSS 26 software program. According to the results, the researchers present some recommendations.

This study examined the effectiveness of integrating TED Talks into English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms to enhance students' vocabulary acquisition. Vocabulary plays a vital role in language proficiency, and TED Talks, with their authentic language input and engaging multimodal content, offer a promising tool for vocabulary development. The research employed a quantitative method involving pre-tests and post-tests to evaluate the vocabulary improvement of 15 fifth-semester students from the English Language Education Department at Universitas Serambi Mekah. The intervention included the use of a TED Talk video titled "Try Something New for 30 Days" by Matt Cutts, accompanied by guided activities. Results revealed a significant improvement in students’ vocabulary, with the mean score rising from 48.33 in the pre-test to 86.00 in the post-test, indicating a 77.93% increase. The findings demonstrate that TED Talks effectively enrich vocabulary by exposing students to authentic language use, diverse topics, and various accents. Additionally, the platform promotes self-directed learning, critical thinking, and listening comprehension. However, challenges such as the complexity of content and limited interactivity were identified. This study underscores the potential of TED Talks as a digital learning resource in EFL contexts and provides recommendations for their effective integration into teaching practices. These findings contribute to the growing body of research on using digital media to support language learning and suggest opportunities for further exploration in this area

Listening comprehension is a critical component of English language acquisition and a core foundation for effective communication and language development. This study investigates the impact of gamified and non-gamified AI-driven learning systems, Duolingo and Replika, on the improvement of English as a foreign language (EFL) listening comprehension. A concurrent mixed methods design was used to collect data from 53 Iranian high school students (aged 14–15) residing in Tehran Province. Quantitative data were collected through researcher-developed pre- and post-intervention listening comprehension assessments and a perception questionnaire, while qualitative data were derived from classroom observation checklists and semi-structured interviews (n = 15). Students were randomly allocated to two groups: Duolingo (n = 27) and Replika (n = 26), who participated in a 12-week intervention consisting of 24 sessions. Duolingo uses gamified elements such as rewards and points to increase engagement, while Replika uses conversation-based interactions. Quantitative analysis revealed significant improvements in listening comprehension for both groups, with the Duolingo group showing higher engagement metrics. Qualitative findings showed that Duolingo's adaptive algorithms and gamification elements fostered a more engaging and personalized learning experience. The study highlights how these AI-driven systems address previously overlooked aspects of EFL instruction through personalized, data-driven pathways, effectively improving adolescents' listening comprehension skills. The research reviewed here highlights how these systems address previously overlooked aspects of EFL instruction, particularly in improving adolescents' listening comprehension skills. By focusing on personalized, data-driven pathways, the study demonstrates how intelligent learning platforms can fill gaps in traditional teaching and effectively improve listening comprehension - a critical yet often underemphasized skill in language teaching.

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

Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) is considered as a valuable frame for describing and understanding technology integration into different educational settings, including English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom. There is an accumulated body of literature on TPACK among teachers engaged in different areas of education. However, few studies have addressed the assessment of TPACK through students’ perspectives in EFL settings. To address this gap, the purpose of this study was set to assess Iranian EFL students’ perspectives regarding their teachers’ TPACK. A total of 148 Iranian EFL students participated in this survey study. The data were collected through administering a previously validated TPACK questionnaire to the participants of the study. The findings obtained from the survey indicated that most EFL students perceived that their EFL teachers excelled in four components of TPACK such as technological knowledge (TK), pedagogical knowledge (PK), content knowledge (CK), and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), but the teachers were perceived to be relatively less proficient in the other three components of the scale such as technological content knowledge (TCK), technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK), and TPACK. The results suggest that Iranian EFL teachers may require further training in these latter elements of the TPACK to gain the required proficiency to integrate technology more effectively into their language classrooms.

This study presents a bibliometric analysis of research on online assessment platforms in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms, with a focus on Indonesian educational contexts from 2018 to 2022. The analysis highlights the growing recognition of digital tools in enhancing student assessment and learning outcomes. The findings reveal a significant increase in the number of publications on online assessment tools, reflecting the shift toward technology-driven education, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Quantitative research methods are predominantly used, emphasizing the objective evaluation of student performance through standardized tests, such as the Cornell Critical Thinking Test (CCTT). However, a noticeable gap exists in qualitative research, which could provide deeper insights into the contextual factors affecting the effectiveness of these tools. Additionally, the study identifies concerns regarding the transparency of data collection instruments, particularly their validity and reliability. The study concludes that while quantitative approaches dominate the field, there is a need for more balanced research methodologies and rigorous validation of assessment tools to ensure credible and comprehensive insights into the role of online assessments in EFL education.

The aim of this research was to determine the effectiveness of the shadow reading strategy on developing EFL secondary school students listening comprehension skills and motivation.Questions formulated to achieve the aim of the study focused on: (1) Determining listening comprehension skills suitable for the EFL secondary school students.(2) Finding out differences in listening comprehension test regarding experimental and control group.( 3) Finding out differences in listening motivation scale scores regarding experimental and control group.Three instruments -designed by the researcher-that include: (listening comprehension skills checklist, listening comprehension skills test and listening motivation scale) were used for data collection.Results revealed that the regular method used to teach listening is not as significant as the shadow reading strategy that develop listening comprehension skills and motivation.Students of experimental group outperformed their counterparts of the control group in listening comprehension skills and motivation scores.

This paper examines the effect of shadow reading strategy on secondary school students’ listening comprehension skills and motivation. These participants, who constituted the human subjects for the study, were ninth-year students pursuing other subjects in Arabic and learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL) as well. The research questions asked to accomplish the purpose of the study focused on: (1) Determining listening comprehension skills suitable for the EFL secondary school students; (2) Finding out differences in listening comprehension test regarding the experimental and control group; and (3) Finding out differences in listening motivation scale scores regarding experimental and control group. Three instruments – designed by the researchers – that include: (listening comprehension skills checklist, listening comprehension skills test and listening motivation scale) were used. Results showed that the regular method used to teach listening is not as significant as the shadow reading strategy that developed listening comprehension skills and motivation. Consequently, the experimental group students outperformed their counterparts (the control group) in listening comprehension skills and motivation scores.

Online learning and assessment have become a major concern for educators in the field of education due to the many challenges they present. The coronavirus lockdown has profoundly affected the instruction and evaluation processes for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the perspectives of EFL teachers on the pedagogical barriers in online assessments. The study employed a mixed-methods approach, involving 28 participants from four different educational settings. During the qualitative phase, in-depth discussions were conducted using the Google Meet app, allowing participants to explore the pedagogical barriers associated with online assessments. The results of the qualitative analysis identified five themes of pedagogical barriers under the central category of fairness and equity: feedback, poor internet speed, learners’ lack of digital literacy, online cheating, and instruction. A ranking scale was subsequently used to assess the perceived importance of these categories. The findings of this study have significant implications for EFL teachers, policy makers, and educational assessment organisations. It provides insights that can inform the development of strategies and policies to address the pedagogical barriers associated with online assessments. By recognising and addressing these challenges, educators and policymakers can enhance the quality and fairness of online assessments, ensuring a more equitable learning experience for EFL students.

The use of the first language (L1) in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and English as a Second Language (ESL) classroom can serve various purposes to facilitate language learning. Accordingly, the role of L1 in EFL and ESL classes has been debated in the history of English Language Teaching (ELT) and Second Language Acquisition (SLA) for many decades. However, employing L1 as a teaching tool in language classrooms is often discouraged. This article aims to explore the role of L1 in EFL and ESL education, drawing upon an extensive body of empirical evidence. It seeks to illustrate how teachers can strategically leverage learners' L1 as a pedagogical resource within the classroom setting, as well as explore the different functions that L1 can serve or can potentially serve in language classrooms. Additionally, the study briefly addresses the concerns raised by researchers regarding the potential negative impacts of using L1.

This paper explores how technology, and specifically the application of social media, in the English as a foreign language (EFL) classroom is changing how language is taught. The paper begins with a depiction of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) and how technology has generally been employed in EFL classrooms in the past few decades. This critical appraisal, which provides the context for the paper, assesses how successfully technology has been viewed in relation to language teaching and learning and how it has developed up to the present day. The focus then moves to social media apps and mobile technology as a contemporary form of CALL. The discussion considers the ways in which social media is used in language classrooms and more importantly the things it can offer the EFL teacher and learner. Importantly, the paper concludes by proposing ways in which these types of technologies can be better incorporated across cultures and contexts to promote EFL teaching and learning.

Technology in the Language Classroom: How Social Media Is Changing the Way EFL Is Taught