This study analyzed adult learners’ motivation in learning English from two diametrically different paradigms viz., the EFL (English as a Foreign Language) from Saudi Arabia and the ESL (English as a Second Language) from Pakistan. The quantitative tool of the 20-items questionnaire administered at 100 EFL learners and 100 ESL learners helped find out the factors impacting the adult learners’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivation resulting in their being amotivated, unmotivated, and highly motivated English language learners. The major findings are that the learners in both the EFL and the ESL contexts were found intrinsically motivated to learn the English language. However, the Saudi EFL students, unlike ESL learners, lacked extrinsic motivation due to i) lack of an environment conducive for English language learning and ii) social disapproval of the English language learning. The extrinsic factors lacking for ESL learners in Pakistan are the provision of highly motivated and trained teachers, well-equipped classrooms, financial rewards, and a conducive learning environment in the institutions. Based on the findings, the study recommends that teachers must be trained to involve the intrinsically motivated students in challenging and encouraging activities. The teachers engaged in teaching to Saudi EFL learners need to exert more to create an excellent learning environment in their class to motivate and encourage their students towards learning of the English language, and to waive off the negative impact of social disapproval of the language outside the classroom.

In spite of considerable advancements in our understanding of the different factors involved in achieving vocabulary-learning success, the overall pattern and interrelationships of critical factors involved in L2 vocabulary learning - particularly, the mechanisms through which learners regulate their motivation and learning strategies - remain unclear. This study examined L2 vocabulary learning, focusing on the joint influence of different motivational factors and learning strategies on the vocabulary breadth of adolescent learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) in China. The participants were 107 tenth graders (68 females, 39 males) in China. The data were collected via two questionnaires, one assessing students' motivation towards English-vocabulary learning and the other their English vocabulary-learning strategies, along with a test measuring vocabulary breadth. Structural equationmodelling (SEM) indicated that learning strategy partially mediated the relationship between motivation (i.e., a composite score of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation) and vocabulary learning. Separate SEM analyses for intrinsic (IM) andextrinsic motivation (EM) revealed that there were significant and positive direct and indirect effects of IM on vocabulary knowledge; and while EM's direct effect over and above that of learning strategies did not achieve significance, its indirect effect was significant and positive. The findings suggest that vocabulary-learning strategies mediate the relationship between motivation and vocabulary knowledge. In addition, IM may have a greater influence on vocabulary learning in foreign-language contexts.

The paper served as an attempt to investigate whether teaching the culturally-loaded texts to Persian English as a foreign language (EFL) learners bear any influence on their performance on reading comprehension tests. The paper, in addition, explores the any interrelationship between the teaching of culture-oriented texts and the motivation level of language learners.To achieve such objectives,102 Persian EFL learners (belonging to two classes) were sampled, using convenient procedure of sampling. The experimental group was given the treatment (teaching culture-loaded texts).They were also given a motivation questionnaire. Analyzing the gathered data, the results revealed that teaching culture elements of target language can have a remarkable impact on the performance of language learners on reading comprehension tests.The study also showed that culture teaching has a great role in improving the motivation level of language learners. The study also bore some implications recounted at the end of the study. Key words: Culturally-based texts, reading comprehension test, motivation level

The issue of motivation, especially in EFL context is very important since motivation is considered as the fuel or the driving force to keep a language class ‘alive’. Motivation itself is defined as the learners’ orientation with regard to the goal of learning a second language . Compared to ESL context, learning English in the EFL setting needs more efforts and persistence since English is not used in daily communication and there is little opportunity to interact with native English speakers.. This paper is going to discuss some motivational strategies to boost Indonesian EFL learners’ enthusiasm in learning English as a foreign language . Keywords : motivation, EFL learners, language class

IntroductionLike children with typical language development, their peers with developmental language disorder (DLD) are expected to learn English as a foreign language (EFL). For pupils without DLD, it is well-established that amount of informal exposure to English outside of the classroom, starting age of EFL instruction and motivation are strong positive predictors of EFL learning rate and/or achievement, whereas anxiety is negatively related to performance. This paper is the first attempt to investigate how these predictors of EFL performance operate in learners with DLD. MethodsParticipants were nineteen Dutch-speaking 7th graders with DLD learning English as a school subject at a specialist education facility in the Netherlands. English receptive grammar and receptive vocabulary were measured twice, with a four-month interval. Foreign language learning motivation, anxiety and (length and amount of) informal exposure to and instruction in English were measured via questionnaires. ResultsThe participants did not show any progress on English vocabulary and grammar. At Time 1, vocabulary and grammar scores were positively related to starting age of EFL instruction and negatively related to anxiety. For vocabulary, achievement was also positively predicted by attitudes towards English lessons. Only the relationship between starting age of instruction and vocabulary outcomes was visible at Time 2. Amount and length of informal exposure to English did not predict performance, which is in stark contrast to the patterns observed in EFL learners with typical language development. ConclusionsWe conclude that children with DLD benefit from a later onset of foreign language lessons, whereas length and amount of out-of-school exposure to English are less important in the context of DLD, possibly due to difficulty with implicit learning.

Many scholars and language practitioners have stressed the importance of listening and speaking in language learning and teaching particularly in formal contexts. However, learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in Burkina Faso appear to perform very poorly in those basic language skills. This experimental study investigates the potential of digital audio-visuals to improve the listening skills of EFL learners in secondary schools in Burkina Faso. Assuming that learners born around the year 2000 are digital natives, we have tried to integrate smartphone-friendly audio-visuals in their EFL classrooms in a four-week experiment involving one Experimental Group and one Control Group. The experiment aimed at gauging the effectiveness of those aids operated via students‘ smartphones in improving learners‘ listening and speaking skills. Independent T-tests were used to compare the groups and Sample Paired T-Tests to make comparisons within groups. Furthermore, Cohen‘s d, an effect size formula, was used to measure the effect size. The findings show that the listening skills of the students exposed to the digital audio-visual aids improved on average from 10.2 to 18.5. It was noticed incidentally that their speaking skills improved as well. The study suggests that, if appropriately used, smartphones are excellent devices for language teachers and learners in this digitizing world.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of visual aids on elementary Iranian EFL learners’ vocabulary learning. To achieve the aim of the study, 60 elementary EFL learners were selected based on their performance on proficiency test. After administering the pretest, the participants of the experimental group received vocabulary visually. The teacher used different kinds of strategies such as: physical demonstration, creating a visual memory for the word, etc. Control group received vocabulary instruction through the conventional method, which was popular in similar courses by means of using dictionaries, definitions, synonyms, translation, etc. Finally, both groups took posttest. The results of independent sample t-test showed that visual aids were more effective to help elementary EFL learners to learn vocabulary. Accordingly, it was recommended that all the EFL teachers should feel responsible and use various types of visual aids as much as possible effectively.Key words: Teaching aids; visual Aids; educational technology; teaching; learning; English language learners (ELLs)

Game-based vocabulary learning that is well documented to improve students’ vocabulary learning outcomes is gaining increasing attention. However, no consensus has been reached regarding the impact of game-based vocabulary learning application (APP) on the vocabulary learning achievement, motivation, and self-confidence among Chinese EFL (English as a foreign language) students, so large a population that should never be neglected. To address the issues, a total of 70 college students in two groups participated in a quasi-experiment. One is the experimental group in which students received the game-based vocabulary learning; the other is the control group in which students received the conventional paper-based wordlist learning. Each group consisted of 35 students. The experiment was carried out to evaluate how the implementation of game-based vocabulary learning influences students’ vocabulary learning achievement, motivation, and self-confidence. In addition, a regression analysis was exploited to examine the influence of motivation and self-confidence on vocabulary achievement. Results demonstrated that the game-based vocabulary learning APP benefited students in vocabulary achievement, motivation, and self-confidence. Furthermore, learning self-confidence and motivation did not predict learning achievement. Implications of the study were also given.

ABSTRACT In second language acquisition (SLA), vocabulary learning can be a great challenge for some English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. Virtual Reality (VR) technology has unleashed its potential in language education, but insufficient attention has yet been paid to its impact on EFL learners’ vocabulary learning. To bridge this gap, we conducted a quasi-experiment based on a self-developed VR platform, in order to investigate the effects of VR on EFL learners’ vocabulary learning. A total of 68 college students participated in this study and were assigned to either the experimental (VR players) or the comparison (video watchers) group. The results revealed that the VR players significantly outperformed the video watchers in terms of vocabulary learning. The VR environment contextualized vocabulary learning by providing an authentic language learning experience, a strong sense of presence, and instant interaction and feedback, whereas the VR players’ learning motivation still needed to be strengthened. Analysis of semi-structured interviews further demonstrated that most of the students valued the potential of the VR-assisted learning approach, while some of them still held mixed feelings about it. This study provides some suggestions for both language instructors and technical experts in terms of task design, platform optimization, and material development.

This research paper investigates the impact of visual aids on vocabulary acquisition in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classes. Vocabulary acquisition is a fundamental aspect of language learning, and innovative teaching methods are continuously sought to improve this process. Visual aids, such as images, videos, flashcards, and infographics, are known to enhance comprehension, retention, and engagement in language learning. However, their specific effectiveness in the context of EFL vocabulary acquisition has not been comprehensively explored. The study employs an experimental research design. 62 EFL learners are randomly assigned to two groups: one group receiving traditional vocabulary instruction without visual aids, and the other group exposed to vocabulary teaching supported by various visual aids. Pre-tests and post-tests are conducted to assess vocabulary knowledge, and feedback from learners is gathered to understand their perceptions and preferences. Preliminary findings suggest that the use of visual aids in EFL vocabulary instruction leads to a statistically significant improvement in vocabulary acquisition (M=5.63) for the pretest and M=6.95 for the posttest. Learners in the visual aids group demonstrate enhanced comprehension, retention, and engagement. The research findings also reveal that visual aids worked better for low level of proficiency students.