The English Teacher Corpus: a novel approach to learner corpus development

The purpose of the present study is to explore cross-cultural differences among teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) on the basic language constructs and the impacts on their perceived teaching ability in English-reading instruction. Chinese EFL (n = 73) and Korean EFL (n = 39) teachers were administered the Reading Teacher Knowledge Survey for testing their implicit and explicit knowledge on phonemic awareness, phonological awareness, phonics, and morphological awareness; and their self-perceived teaching ability on teaching typical readers, struggling readers, phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. Results showed that both Chinese EFL and Korean EFL teachers' knowledge on the phonemic awareness, phonological awareness, and phonics was implicit rather than explicit. However, the teachers' knowledge on morphological awareness showed cross-cultural difference: Chinese EFL teachers had greater explicit knowledge on morphological awareness than implicit knowledge, while their Korean EFL counterparts showed opposite pattern. Self-perceived teaching ability was also distinct cross-culturally, in that Chinese EFL teachers were only confident in teaching English vocabulary, whereas Korean EFL teachers had generally positive self-perception on teaching typical readers, fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. Importantly, both groups of EFL teachers' explicit knowledge on the basic language constructs explained additional variance for predicting their self-perception on teaching English reading, controlling for the effects of their years of teaching and implicit knowledge. Educational implications and future research ideas are discussed in relation to the cross-cultural differences of teacher knowledge and their perceived teaching ability.

By using descriptive research design with quantitative and qualitative data gathering method, this study attempted to asses EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teachers practice of giving oral error corrective feedback and learners preferences for oral error correction. In doing so, data were gathered from grade 11 students and their English language teachers. Three English languages teachers were included for observation and interview by using comprehensive sampling technique and eight students were also selected for interview by using purposive sampling technique. Each teacher was observed three times and a total of nine classroom observations were made on four classes while EFL teachers teach speaking skills, and the data were recorded for three hundred sixty minutes. To gather quantitative data, questionnaires consists of four major parts were used. On the other hand data from classroom observations, teachers’ and students’ interview were analyzed qualitatively. Findings of the study revealed that EFL teachers always give oral corrective feedback on learners’ oral error. Teachers were found using explicit correction strategies most of the time. Learners prefer to be corrected by their teacher always and teachers were also found to be the dominant corrector of learners’ oral error. This indicated that EFL teachers’ actual classroom practice is divorced with some scholarly suggested pedagogical consideration. Keywords: Oral error, corrective feedback, practice, preferences DOI: 10.7176/JLLL/66-01 Publication date: March 31 st 2020

Mostly learners and even teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) are still not able to speak grammatically and fluently just because they lack of the Indonesian language proficiency and comprehension. This research was done to investigate how the Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia) can assist the teachers and learners of EFL in improving their English proficiency and comprehension. The data were analyzed by applying Miles’ and Huberman’s framework; data reduction, data display, and drawing then verifying conclusion. The findings showed some positive and negative representative perceptions of the teachers dealing with the roles of the Indonesian in the teaching and learning EFL. The second findings showed and explored the roles of the Indonesian in the teaching and learning EFL. There were five roles by which the Indonesian contribute to such as Functional Equation, Competence Indicator, Linguistic Mediator, Communicative Language Paradigm, and Situational Language Use. The third findings explored the aspects in which the Indonesian had the roles to play in assisting the teaching and learning the EFL such as aspect of the Linguistic Item, aspect of Semantics, and aspect of Pragmatics. There were three other findings in this research that were explored and labeled as Linguistic Competence vs Linguistic Cognition, Cultural Behavior-Based Language, and First Language Interest. Keywords: first language, role of Bahasa Indonesia, SLA, teaching EFL, teachers’ perception

Speaking from an intersectional perspective, the personality of EFL instructors influences the development of personality-specific teaching styles. As such, research has explored the relationship between the personalities of EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teachers and various teaching variables. However, the developmental aspect of EFL teachers' intra-personal negotiations has been overlooked in previous research, despite the potential that tracking teachers’ personality (re)constructions can offer a critical understanding of pre-service EFL teachers’ evolution over time into effective in-service EFL pedagogues. To address this gap, this study employed a narrative approach to gain insight into a single EFL teacher's retrospective understanding of how their personality evolved over their pre-service and in-service teaching career with the pursuit of becoming an effective communicative EFL teacher. Data was gathered through a self-reported personality document, a written narrative, and two rounds of semi-structured interviews. The data were then analyzed using qualitative data mining and coding techniques. The study found that some pre-service personality traits of EFL teachers act as obstacles to becoming effective EFL teachers. However, over about five years, cultural, pedagogical, and professional factors as some compelling drivers lead to EFL teachers' intra-personality negotiations, resulting in their gradual evolution into effective communicative pedagogues. The study also concludes that methodologically, a narrative approach to capturing the longitudinal psychosocial transformations of EFL teachers can offer valuable insights into the dynamics of EFL teacher development.

The current study aimed to investigate EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teachers’ competence levels in different competency areas and the level of preparation of such competencies by their initial preparation programs. EFL teachers from all school levels (cycle one, cycle two and post-basic) participated in this pilot study as part of a PhD project in the academic school year 2022/2023. The participants were in-service teachers (n= 59) who graduated from local and non-local teacher preparation programs and were assigned to different schools in the Muscat Governorate. The pilot study implemented a descriptive research method in which a quantitative research approach was used to investigate the level of EFL teachers’ competencies and preparation. The study employed a questionnaire divided into two parts. The first part explored EFL teachers’ perceptions of their current level of competencies and the second part investigated teachers’ perceptions of the extent to which their initial preparation programs have prepared them for these competencies. The study’s findings revealed that teachers perceived themselves as possessing a high competency level in helping learners understand learning objectives and using teaching aids to motivate and engage learners. Teachers perceived their lowest competency to be reading the latest research in ELT. The study makes some significant recommendations including the demand to further update teachers’ professional competencies with the assistance of the Ministry of Education’s (MoE) in-service training sector and revise the outcomes and content of Teacher Preparation Programs (TPPs) for a stronger enhancement of teachers’ required competencies.

During the most recent educational reform in Estonia, a new National Curriculum was introduced in 2010 providing new guidelines for education generally and foreign languages specifically. To investigate the understanding that an EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teacher has about professional teaching and whether it matches the principles of the curriculum, a research project was conducted amongst EFL teachers at the lower secondary school level. A brief theoretical background to the topic is given and Estonian EFL teachers’ beliefs about professional teaching based on the findings of the survey are described. The study identifies that, although generally EFL teachers’ beliefs about professional teaching are in concordance with the principles contained in the new curriculum, there are aspects that should be addressed by both pre- and in-service education teacher programmes.

PurposeAs demonstrated in the literature, teachers’ knowledge sharing, self-efficacy and creativity display certain levels of cause-and-effect and correlational connections from different perspectives. Nonetheless, few studies, if any, have been reported on the interplay of these three concepts in the context of the language classroom. As such, this study aims to test a structural model of English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers’ knowledge sharing, self-efficacy and creativity and specifically to examine the hypothesis that creativity mediates the relationship between EFL teachers’ knowledge sharing and self-efficacy.Design/methodology/approachThe participants were 384 EFL teachers from different language institutes across Iran. The EFL teachers were selected based on random stratified sampling method. To verify the research hypotheses, a quantitative correlational design was used in the present study. The quantitative data was collected using three questionnaires, and then descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. Therefore, we used the EFL teachers’ creativity questionnaire developed by Khany and Boghayeri (2014), knowledge sharing behavior scale by Ramayah et al. (2014) and teachers’ self-efficacy questionnaire by Tschannen-Moran and Hoy (2001). To analyze the data, Pearson correlation and multiple regression were run.FindingsThe findings revealed the hypothesized model of relationships among the study variables. The results also confirmed the mediator role of creativity. The implications of the findings in relation to creativity, knowledge sharing and self-efficacy are discussed.Originality/valueThe bulk of research on teacher self-efficacy has concentrated fairly adequately on its relationship with factors such as teachers’ reflective practice, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, personality and student achievement. What seems to be rather missing in this line of research has to do with the exploration of the possible links among knowledge sharing, self-efficacy and creativity as interacting variables, especially in the context of Iran where teachers’ knowledge sharing is lower than expected. More importantly, no previous investigation has tapped into the mediating effect of creativity on the connection between English teachers’ knowledge sharing and self-efficacy.

This research study focuses on the status of English language education in private educational institutions in Tunisia, an area that has received limited attention. Qualitative investigation, utilizing one-to-one interviews with English language teachers in private schools and universities, was conducted to understand the conditions of Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) in the private sector. Interviews were conducted online and transcribed for analysis. Findings indicate that the quality of English language teaching in private institutions surpasses that of state schools, with students benefiting from early exposure and ample practice opportunities. Teachers in private institutions have access to better resources due to stable financial situations, but they tend to be less experienced compared to their counterparts in public schools. Despite the study's limited scope, it provides valuable insights into Tunisian English teachers’ perceptions of working conditions and highlights their need for professional development and improvements in TEFL. The instrument used in the study has been validated and could serve as a basis for future research. This research, part of a larger PhD dissertation, contributes to understanding the differences between state and private language education and has pedagogical relevance for EFL education in similar contexts.

The research aimed to explore beliefs of sociolinguistic competence from Indonesian EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teachers. Two teachers were carefully chosen to participate in the research. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, analyzed, and interpreted using the critical descriptive method. The research finds that EFL teachers express their beliefs in various terms, ideologies, and perspectives. The result indicates that the EFL teachers’ beliefs about sociolinguistic competence are equivalent to the concepts of spatial repertoire, principled-polycentrism, resourceful speakers, and sociolinguistics as mobility. It also indicates that EFL teachers’ pedagogical affordances in determining learning objectives, selecting materials and media for learning, implementing classroom strategies, and choosing appropriate evaluation for their teaching are influenced by their beliefs of sociolinguistic competence. The research suggests that Indonesian EFL teachers should be awarded the freedom to develop sociolinguistic competence based on their classroom context and learners’ heterogeneity. With the presence of a national curriculum (known as K13) that gives more spaces for sociolinguistic competence to take place, teachers should transform their paradigm of seeing classroom interaction in EFL classroom to be more sociolinguistically-aware to transform the static, pre-determined, and motionless definition of sociolinguistic competence to a more dynamic, fluid, and varying. These transformations can be made by imparting sociolinguistic competence in teachers’ education and teachers’ professional development programs.

Informal digital learning of English and EFL teachers’ job engagement: Exploring the mediating role of technological pedagogical content knowledge and digital competence

The aim of the current research is to investigate the language assessment literacy perceptions of EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teachers working at state primary, middle, and high schools in Turkey. Another purpose of the study was to investigate how EFL teachers adapted their language assessment skills to the online teaching context during the Covid- 19 pandemic, and to what extent. Additionally, challenges and solutions of teachers in transforming their language assessment skills into online education were investigated. A mixed-methods study was employed as the research design. The study obtained and triangulated both qualitative and quantitative data to enhance its validity. In the quantitative phase, Vogt and Tsagari (2014)'s LAL questionnaire which includes three factors i.e. Language Testing and Assessment (LTA), classroom-focused LTA, and purposes of testing, content and concepts of LTA was administered to the participants. The quantitative data were descriptively analysed through the SPSS program in order to identify EFL teachers' training levels and needs in online language assessment. The qualitative data for the study were gathered through written structured interviews with (n) EFL teachers and analyzed using inductive methods. The study's findings revealed that the teachers have a high level of assessment literacy in terms of both face-to-face and online assessment and are familiar with basic assessment tools. However, there is a gap between their theoretical knowledge of assessment and their classroom practices. Additionally, the teachers expressed a need for more in-service training in assessing the skills of English language learners in online environments.

Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty that has an effect not only on literacy skills in students’ first language, but also on foreign language learning (Sparks et al. 1989, 2006; Peer and Reid 2000; Schneider and Crombie 2003; Nijakowska 2008, 2010; Kormos and Smith 2012). In order to ensure that dyslexic students successfully acquire necessary levels of foreign language competence, they need adequate instruction and teachers’ support. However, frequently enough, EFL (English as a foreign language) teachers lack sufficient understanding of the nature of dyslexia and the difficulties it causes in foreign language learning. They are not familiar with the relevant teaching techniques and methods to further the language learning processes of students with dyslexia. It seems that more often than not it results from the lack of satisfactory training on dyslexia/learning differences during the course of studies as well as from the limited offer of courses for in-service teachers which would enable them to get qualifications (knowledge and skills) to teach foreign languages to dyslexic students with success. The chapter reviews the outcomes of a study whose aim was to identify the professional development needs of EFL teachers with regard to teaching dyslexic language learners. Data has been collected with the use of an online survey. The study has been conducted among the pre- and in-service EFL teachers mainly from six European countries where institutions participating in the DysTEFL project www.dystefl.eu are located. The findings of the present study indicate that the respondents perceived their knowledge and skills with regard to teaching dyslexic language learners as rather poor. They acknowledged the existence of the apparent gap in their training concerning this issue and expressed a well-defined need and interest in further professional development in this respect. In addition, they voiced their opinion and preferences as to the format, content matter as well as types of tasks and activities they would find most favourable in the training materials/course on the EFL and dyslexia. Thus, the immediate implications of the study refer to both the structure and content of the training materials/course for EFL teachers to be developed by the DysTEFL project consortium in response to the needs teachers articulated in the survey. More broadly, the findings seem relevant and informative for the higher education authorities and teacher training institutions responsible for designing professional training schemes for EFL pre- and in-service teachers.KeywordsStandard DeviationTeaching ExperiencePhonological AwarenessForeign LanguageStudent TeacherThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

IntroductionThis research aimed to investigate the influence of value congruence on EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teachers’ work engagement, with a focus on the mediating role of teacher enthusiasm.MethodsA sample of EFL teachers (N = 453) in China participated in the study. Data were collected using self-report measures, including the Value Congruence Scale, Teacher Enthusiasm Scale, and Work Engagement Scale. Structural equation modeling was employed to analyze the data and test the proposed model.ResultsThe results revealed that value congruence had a significant positive direct effect on work engagement. Furthermore, teacher enthusiasm was found to mediate the relationship between value congruence and work engagement.DiscussionThese findings suggest that when EFL teachers perceive a congruence between their personal values and the values upheld by their educational institutions, they are more likely to experience higher levels of work engagement, and this relationship is partially explained by their level of enthusiasm. The study contributes to the understanding of the factors that influence EFL teachers’ work engagement and highlights the importance of value congruence and teacher enthusiasm in fostering a positive work environment. These findings have implications for the development of interventions and practices aimed at enhancing EFL teachers’ well-being and job satisfaction.

Summary: Considering the drama technique as appropriate in teaching English as a foreign language (EFL), in our paper, we have examined and analysed teachers' attitudes towards this technique. We wanted to find out if the respondents think that the drama technique is useful in teaching foreign languages and if they use it in their classrooms. The research was conducted in Italy during the finals of the second international competition in English - Hippo, on a specific sample of English teachers (N = 47) from eight countries whose students were finalists in the competition. A non-experimental descriptive method - survey, has been used. To collect data, we have constructed a questionnaire in English, which consists of three parts: 1) respondents' sociodemographic data; 2) a scale for measuring attitudes towards drama technique, divided into two subscales - one measures the assessment of drama technique advantages (contains six statements), and the other the assessment of its disadvantages (three statements); and 3) assessment of the use of drama activities in teaching (one statement). The respondents rated the degree of agreement with each of the statements based on a five-point Likert scale, from 1 - I strongly disagree to 5 - I strongly agree. The results analysis has indicated that the teachers, mentors of students who have achieved exceptional success placing in the finals of the international English language competition, consider the drama helpful technique and use it in EFL teaching. Namely, there is a statistically significant positive correlation between the use of drama technique in EFL teaching and the assessment of the advantages of this technique (r = .49; p <.001), as well as the general attitude towards drama technique (r = .51; p <.001). Our research can be useful to EFL teachers. It can encourage them to apply drama techniques in practice as much as possible, enhancing students' motivation to acquire a foreign language more successfully. Theoretically, our research contributes to the methodology of foreign language teaching and psychology of learning, since motivation is an important psychological factor in EFL learning and teaching. The paper can be helpful to future researchers in these fields.

PurposeThe present study aims to examine the attitudes of future Saudi female English as a Foreign Language (EFL) student-teachers toward English native-like pronunciation to investigate their misconceptions about English as a Lingua Franca (ELF).Design/methodology/approachThe researcher used a questionnaire to collect the data for the study.FindingsThe results indicate that students and teachers have positive attitudes toward native-like pronunciation. However, the results also show a realization on the participants’ part about the status of ELF. The study concludes that although they have positive attitudes toward native-like English pronunciation, students use ELF and recognize that such pronunciation is not essential for global communication. The study results show that the participants are aware of ELF, filling a vacuum in the literature about how Saudi students perceive ELF. It encourages EFL teachers, syllabus designers, developers and researchers to provide more information on this topic and stresses international communicative ability, as ELF speakers require.Research limitations/implications As the study has some limitations that could be addressed in future research, other researchers should address these deficiencies in future studies. One limitation is that the study only involved Saudi female future teachers. Further researchers can investigate male Saudi future EFL teachers. Another limitation is that the study focused on future teachers of English in Saudi Arabia in only one institution. Other Saudi EFL teachers and other Arab future teachers could be further investigated to reject or support the study’s findings. Additionally, a more detailed demographic background could be specified in further research for more comprehensive results. In addition, similar studies could be conducted with participants from different EFL-speaking countries. Another limitation of this study is that it covers the attitudes of EFL future teachers toward native-like pronunciation and indirectly investigates their views on ELF. More research is needed to determine how EFL learners and teachers perceive ELF. The actual use of English globally could become more enlightened with further study.Practical implicationsThis study’s findings have implications for instructors, syllabus designers and researchers. The results suggest that EFL instructors, syllabus designers and researchers should focus more on international communicative competence than native-like competence. While designing course materials or teaching, teachers and syllabus developers should be fully aware of the status of ELF. Designers of syllabi should include conversations among speakers from different linguistic backgrounds. Effective communication is a priority. Students should become more familiar with global communication outside the classroom and be prepared to engage in it.Social implicationsStudents should become more familiar with global communication outside the classroom and be prepared to engage in it.Originality/valueNative varieties of English have gained popularity over the years among EFL teachers and learners. However, researchers have debated the importance of EFL students achieving native-like English proficiency.