Foreign Language Teaching Research Articles

Challenges in Promoting Learner Autonomy in Blended Learning: Perspectives from English as a Foreign Language Teachers in China

Blended learning is gaining popularity as a prevailing practice in higher education worldwide. This study explores the challenges faced by experienced English as a Foreign Language teachers in promoting learner autonomy within blended learning environments. Drawing from interviews and classroom observations conducted with five EFL teachers at a private university in China, the study identifies four key challenges: technological, pedagogical, cultural, and institutional. Technological challenges revolve around concerns regarding technical support, internet reliability, and hardware availability, highlighting the need for sturdy technical infrastructure and supportive mechanisms. Pedagogical challenges include designing effective blended learning activities that balance teacher-led instruction with opportunities for student autonomy, emphasizing the importance of scaffolding learning tasks, and providing adequate support for independent learning. Cultural challenges underscore the influence of cultural factors on student attitudes towards autonomy and authority in the classroom, emphasizing the necessity for culturally responsive teaching practices. Institutional challenges highlight barriers stemming from rigid curriculum requirements, limited professional development opportunities, and a lack of administrative support, underscoring the importance of systemic support and organizational change. The findings offer valuable guidance for institutions, administrators, and EFL teachers on how to design more effective blended EFL courses. Limitations and suggestions for future studies such as larger sample size, rigorous data collection method, and longitudinal studies are provided to enhance our understanding of promoting learner autonomy in blended learning environments.

Determining the Metaphorical Perceptions of German Teacher Candidates Regarding the Concept of Artificial Intelligence

Abstract Considering the importance of individualised learning, artificial intelligence tools can effectively create an environment where students can learn by using them both in lessons and on their own, and enable students to learn a foreign language more effectively and permanently. The aim of this study is to examine the thinking worlds and thought patterns of prospective German teachers about the role of artificial intelligence in language teaching and learning and their views on the concept of artificial intelligence. The starting point of this study is the question of which metaphors prospective teachers use when talking about the concept of artificial intelligence. The questions of the study are as follows: 1. with which metaphors do pre-service German teachers express artificial intelligence? 2. How do pre-service German teachers define their metaphors related to the concept of artificial intelligence? 3. Under which conceptual categories are these metaphors categorised in terms of common characteristics? The participants of the study consisted of 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th year prospective teachers studying at the Department of German Language Teaching, Faculty of Education, Faculty of Foreign Languages Education, Trakya University. The data were collected by qualitative data analysis method. Firstly, Student Information Form was given to the students and what is metaphor was explained by giving examples of metaphor. Then, the students filled out an opinion form consisting of semi-structured questions. This form consists of two parts, in which short demographic information about the students is asked and the open-ended question ‘artificial intelligence is like ...., because...’ is asked. Metaphor analysis technique was used to analyse the data. The data obtained were interpreted by categorising the metaphors used by the prospective German teachers.

Enhancing EFL Chinese Learners’ Awareness of Cultural Exchange Through Curricula from the Perspective of International Communication

Enhancing EFL Chinese learners’ awareness of cultural exchange is of great significance in foreign language teaching and learning, which can help deepen their understanding of traditional Chinese culture, and thus bringing about national pride and building cultural confidence. This study explores the guidelines and practices of cultural confidence cultivation by focusing on the multidimensional connotations, the teaching philosophies as well as the exact cultivating paths. Specific teaching cases are demonstrated to provide reference for how to cultivate college students with good morals and national identity, in order to better implement the fundamental task of moral education and enhance cultural exchange in the Chinese and Western civilizations from foreign language education in the new era.

Fostering language skills through verse

The use of authentic literary texts, including poetry, in teaching English as a foreign language is becoming increasingly widespread. This can be attributed to the growing popularity of communicative teaching methods and the gradual shift away from teacher-centered approaches to language instruction. When teachers decide to incorporate authentic texts into their English lessons, they face the challenge of selecting appropriate texts and determining the most effective methods for working with them in the classroom. At the same time, they strive to consider their students' interests and preferences, as well as curriculum requirements, while focusing on teaching English. In the process of teaching a foreign language, educators always aim to choose the best teaching methodology to enhance students' communicative skills. One such method is familiarizing students with literature, especially poetry in the foreign language being studied. The ability to read foreign literature is one of the key skills acquired in the process of learning a foreign language. Today, the selection of teaching materials available to foreign language teachers is quite extensive, ranging from ready-made methodological brochures and teaching guides to accessible authentic journalistic materials and literary works. However, when choosing a teaching strategy for specific students, the question arises about the appropriateness of using poetry in the curriculum, as well as the degree of their authenticity or adaptation. In most foreign language teaching methodologies, literature is introduced after a substantial and solid study of the language. Thus, in textbooks, methodological tools, and teaching aids for teachers, poetic works receive little attention. This work is an attempt to analyze the importance and effectiveness of using poetic works in foreign language lessons, it explores the integration of poetry in the teaching process and investigates its impact on language acquisition, cultural appreciation, and overall language learning experience. It is an attempt to learn contemporary language teaching methods with an emphasis on literature at the university level and analyze their effectiveness in this specific context.

Modern Specialist Training Within the Context of the Problem-Based and Informational Approach (Exemplified by Teaching a Foreign Language)

Today’s challenges modern society deal with require the use of an international language to solve problems of an economic, political, scientific, academic, and sociocultural nature. The authors highlight the importance of a foreign language knowledge emphasizing its additional resources for the professional development of future specialists. The paper subject is the process of foreign language teaching within the frame of a problem-based and informational approach while training university students. The authors look at the process of foreign language mastering at different education levels and analyze the components of the discipline work programs such as “Foreign Language”, Foreign Language in Professional Sphere”, “Foreign Language for Scientific Communication”. The paper theoretical significance is presented by the analysis of the basic concepts of problem-based learning and its importance not only for the successful mastering of a foreign language, but also for the successful vocational training of future specialists who meet all the requirements of the global labor market. The authors also substantiate the relevance of foreign language training for students in the frame of the problem-based and informational approach, and also present the specifics of its implementation. The practical significance of the work is demonstrated by the series of problem-based tasks using different models of problem-based situations for teaching foreign language reading and listening. According to the researchers, such tasks can be used both for developing a foreign language communicative competence and professional qualities of future specialists who have creative thinking and are able to cope with any problems in various non-standard situations in different spheres of human activity.

The controller-first constraint beyond the Basic Variety: how do instructed learner varieties solve contexts of competition?

Abstract The Basic Variety has been described as a fully fledged system that is developed in second-language acquisition. It is guided by a small number of interacting phrasal, semantic, and pragmatic constraints. This article is devoted to the semantic controller-first constraint, which says that “the NP-referent with highest control comes first” in discourse contexts where this constraint comes into conflict. The Basic Variety, as described by Klein and Perdue, relates to migrant learners that were exposed to target languages in naturalistic contexts and situations outside the classroom. Our study also deals with learners living in the target language’s country at the time of the data collection, but our learners were benefiting from foreign language teaching at university. The goal of this study is twofold. The first part of the article discusses the origins of the key notion of ‘controller’ and introduces related theoretical underpinnings, such as argument hierarchies of transitive verbs and crucial factors determining argument realization. Our analysis shows that the controller-first constraint overlaps with two key concepts of the description of L1 functional grammars – i.e., control asymmetry and the Actor-Undergoer Hierarchy – suggesting that it does not only pertain to the Basic Variety but broadly speaking to the human language capacity. The second part of this study presents some preliminary results on the L2 grammars of Spanish-speaking learners of French in a context of ‘competition’. Our results show the pervasiveness of the controller-first constraint on L2 grammars beyond initial, non-instructed learner varieties, suggesting that this semantic principle is not totally independent of (a) the specifics of the source language and (b) the target constructions of the foreign language classroom.

Yabancı Dil Öğretiminde Öğretmen ve Öğrenci Merkezli Yaklaşımlar: Sosyal Formların Etkili Kullanımı

In today's world, where information is easily accessible and the capacity of artificial intelligence challenges the limits of human intellect, fundamental changes are required in education systems. However, traditional educational approaches in Turkey still treated students as passive recipients of information, which can negatively impact the development of skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving and creative idea generation. Particularly in the teaching of social sciences, humanities and Turkish as a foreign language, student-centered and goal-oriented approaches that rely on the effective use of social forms play a crucial role in enhancing students' language skills and engaging them in the active learning process. The purpose of this study is to introduce student-centered teaching, social forms and goal-oriented teaching approaches and to examine how these approaches can create a transformation in education. Specifically, the positive effects of these methods on improving language skills, critical thinking, creative problem-solving, and effective communication abilities will be emphasized. As a method, literature review and theoretical analysis will be used. Existing studies on these approaches will be examined and the effectiveness of student-centered teaching methods in the context of social forms and goal-oriented strategies used in education will be evaluated. Additionally, a comparative analysis of these methods with traditional approaches will be conducted. The results show that student-centered teaching, social forms, and goal-oriented teaching strategies deeply enhance students' language skills and encourage them to think more independently, critically and creatively. These findings indicate that Turkey's education system needs to adopt innovative approaches to better align with the demands of the current information age. The results of this study provide a significant foundation for the development and implementation of new pedagogical strategies in the fields of social sciences and language teaching. Moreover, these innovative approaches, supported by PISA results, could play a critical role in improving Turkey's educational performance. Keywords: Foreign Language Teaching, Student-Centered Approaches, Goal-Oriented Instruction, Social Forms, Plenum, Partner Work, Group Work, Individual Work

ROMANIAN GERMAN PERSPECTIVES IN LITERARY TEXTS – A PLEA FOR USE IN THE DAF/DAZ CLASSES

In recent years, intercultural awareness and a competent comparative cultural approach have once again become the focus of German as a foreign language teaching, in part due to the publication of the CEFR companion volume. Textbooks have also been endeavouring to fulfil this desideratum for years, however, with only moderate success. This makes it all the more important to find authentic texts with which these learning objectives can be achieved. Texts by Romanian-German authors not only thematise these aspects, but in some cases make them the core of their literary statements, as in the case of the texts by Herta Müller. They are therefore a very worthwhile source of authentic teaching material, as this paper will show with regard to some specific aspects.

ON THE WAY WITH FRAMEWORK CURRICULA TOWARDS FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING AT NON-PHILOLOGICAL FACULTIES FROM TOMORROW

The aim of our contribution is to show how the framework curricula for the teaching of German and foreign languages which were developed in ten countries during a project for cross-curricular university language education in the period 1998-2014 can support teachers, even under difficult circumstances such as during the pandemic. The holistic approach of these curricula leads teachers to create teaching materials which allow their students to enjoy learning and to develop not only their linguistic, but also methodological, social and personal competences relevant to their future careers. Teaching examples from online classes at Bocconi University (Italy) and hybrid classes at the University in Novi Sad, (Serbia) are presented, which prove that the motivation and creativity of learners, who often perceive professional and technical language as something dry and overly factual, can be stimulated by appropriate working methods and targeted teaching materials. Appropriate teaching materials can be created for German classes as well as for any other foreign language classes, since the indications of principles, objectives, contents and procedures contained in the framework curricula are cross-linguistic and are not bound to the teaching of a single language, although they have been written in German by German lecturers.

An Investigation into the Feedback of Automated Writing Evaluation System on EFL Learners’ Writing

Computer technology has developed at a rapid pace in recent decades. The combination of artificial intelligence and writing teaching has become an important development trend. For better utilization of Automated Writing Evaluation System in teaching, the quality of its feedback on various types of errors in compositions is one of the issues worth exploring. In order to investigate this issue, this study compares the diagnosis of EFL learners' compositions by Automated Writing Evaluation System with the actual errors in the compositions, and calculates the Precision and Recall of the iWrite system's feedback. Unlike previous studies, this study synthesizes macro discourse elements such as propositional logic, across-sentence logic, and discourse structure, and categorizes the actual errors in learners' compositions into seven kinds. The results show that the iWrite system performs excellent in detecting three kinds of errors, which are lexical errors, grammatical errors, and other detail-type errors, and is moderately effective in detecting pragmatic errors, while it fails to provide feedback on propositional logic, discourse cohesion and coherence, and paragraph structure, which are the high-level error types, indicating that iWrite system is completely unable to capture errors in terms of macro-discourse elements. These findings provide a strong basis for improving Automated Writing Evaluation System, and at the same time provide English teachers with a reference for writing teaching, which helps to better serve the field of foreign language education.

‘Good Rain Nurtures Things Silently’: A Longitudinal Study of EFL Teacher Emotion and Identity Learning in Curriculum Reform

ABSTRACTIdentity serves as a valuable lens through which to investigate, understand and facilitate teacher learning during curriculum reform. Identity learning is the core process of educational change, with teacher emotion at the heart of professional learning processes. In this study, we traced the 1‐year journeys of four Chinese EFL teachers during a tertiary EFL curriculum reform that focused on ideological and political education. The Dynamic Systems Model of Role Identity was utilised to understand identity learning. By drawing on interviews, documents and observations, we collected rich data and analysed four types of identity learning along a continuum from fake learning to transformation, mediated by teacher emotion. A multiplicity of emotions acted as indicators and potential catalysts for identity learning. However, an overly demanding context might lead to a retrogressive identity learning trajectory. The integration of ideological and political education in foreign language education was also discussed.

Enjoyment begets enjoyment: An experience sampling study on the impact of L2 teacher enjoyment on EFL learners’ learning enjoyment and willingness to communicate

While previous studies have separately explored learner and teacher emotions in the context of second or foreign language (L2) learning, their dynamic associations over time remain underexplored. Additionally, the impact of these reciprocal interplays on learners' communication intention has not been taken into scrutiny in L2 research. The present study investigated the relationships between trajectories of foreign language teaching enjoyment (FLTE), foreign language learning enjoyment (FLE), and L2 willingness to communicate (WTC). Using an experience sampling method, data were collected from 9 English instructors and 162 students over two weeks. The dynamic structural equation modeling analysis revealed significant positive changes in actual and perceived FLTE, FLE, and L2 WTC. Specifically, a reciprocal relationship was found between teacher and student enjoyment, with L2 students' high FLE levels correlating with higher L2 WTC. Although student-perceived FLTE remained stable, L2 teachers’ actual enjoyment fluctuated, being influenced by FLE and L2 WTC. Additionally, L2 WTC significantly impacted teacher enjoyment. On average, teachers with more development in FLTE had students with more development in their FLE and L2 WTC. Overall, the findings underscore the dynamic interplay between teacher and student emotions in L2 learning context and its consequent positive impact on learners' communication intentions. In closing, the findings are discussed in connection with educational theories, and implications are drawn for L2 teaching.

Exploring Development of EMI Teacher Identities and Emotions During a Collaborative Teaching Practice: A Sociocultural Perspective

AbstractThe burgeoning English‐medium instruction (EMI) programs have aroused worldwide scholarly interest in giving language support for EMI subject teachers and their identity‐informed professional development. This study explored how an EMI subject teacher's identities and emotions were intricately interlinked before and after his co‐teaching practice with an English as a foreign language (EFL) teacher at a university in Midwestern China. Ethnographic tools including interviews, observations, and small talks were used over a 10‐month collaborative program. The findings show that the participant teacher's identities and emotions were interdependent with each other and mediated by collaborative teaching practice. Futhermore, emotional attachment to English enhancement and deep engagement in co‐teaching contributed to (re)construction of teacher identities as a content teacher, a competent English user, and an English learning facilitator. The participant's emotional attachment was explicated by his perezhivanie, or the emotional experience of his previous English learning and the emergent EMI teaching contexts. The study highlights the primacy of reconstructing teacher identities and supporting teacher emotional experiences in EMI teacher training and education programs.

The Effect of Teacher’s Feedback on Student Academic Achievement: A Literature Review

The role of teacher’s feedback in the teaching and learning process is extremely important as it allows educators to provide an objective assessment of a student’s performance and help them improve their academic achievements. In this paper, the findings of a comprehensive literature review, conducted using the PRISMA methodology, encompassing 19 studies from 2013 to 2023 are presented. These studies evaluated the impact of teacher feedback on students’ academic performance across all levels of education. It was observed that the majority of the research focused on English as a second and foreign language, academic writing, and higher education. The data collection method employed in these studies was action research. The results indicated that the provision of various forms of teacher’s feedback significantly contributed to enhancing students’ academic performance, improving their language skills, and refining their academic writing abilities.

Graded resources for learning and teaching foreign languages

Abstract Innovative resources for teaching vocabulary have emerged during the last decades, among which the so-called ‘graded resources’, i.e. lexicons or inventories where linguistic forms have been associated with a difficulty level, having in mind a target reader. The idea of ‘grading’ in Education is not new and has evolved over time: vocabulary or text scales (grades) have been approached as an educational tool with the means available at each period of time. In this survey, our aim is to show how current approaches of graded resources for foreign language learning are rooted in the tradition of building frequency lists for education. We then synthesize the body of work that has been undertaken to design graduated resources, highlighting the different methodologies applied as well as existing resources.

Secondary school EFL teachers' awareness for formative assessment for effective learning

The aim of this study was to examine the extent to which English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in secondary schools were aware of formative assessment for effective learning, and whether this awareness level differed based on their teaching experience. The study used a survey design, collecting both quantitative and qualitative data from 167 participants, and analyzed the data using various statistical and analytical techniques. The results of the study indicated that EFL teachers had limited knowledge of formative assessment and that their practical understanding of the topic had not been addressed in teacher education curriculums or training programs. The study recommends that educational authorities, such as the Ministry of Education (MOE), teacher education institutions, and universities, take steps to promote the practicality of formative assessment in teacher education programs and on-the-job learning initiatives. The findings of this study can also serve as a reference point for further research and interventions to improve the effectiveness of EFL teacher education in different contexts.

A year of generative AI in English language teaching and learning - A case study

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools are becoming increasingly prevalent in various fields, including foreign language education. Understanding foreign language students’ and teachers’ perceptions, experiences, ideas, and suggestions is crucial for effectively integrating these tools into language learning. To this end, this case study examines the perceptions of 14 English as a Foreign Language instructors and 13 students regarding the integration of ChatGPT in a foreign language school over a year. Data were collected through focus groups and one-to-one interviews and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. The findings suggest that generative AI chatbots can enhance language skills, offer diverse learning materials, and foster inclusiveness and equity in foreign language learning. However, concerns were raised about plagiarism and potential negative impacts on students’ cognitive skills.

Understanding EFL teacher identity and identity tensions in a Chinese university context

AbstractIn the past few decades, teacher identity has been a popular topic in the field of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching. As a construct that is socially constructed, teacher identity is influenced by situational contexts and is not fixed but multifaceted. While many studies have examined pre‐service and novice teachers’ identities, relatively fewer paid attention to experienced language teachers’ identities and the conflicts they may encounter. This study investigates one seasoned EFL teacher's multiple identities and the tensions that existed in her identity in a Chinese university setting. Data included a semi‐structured interview, class recordings, a stimulated recall, and artifacts such as the teacher's materials for classroom teaching. Findings demonstrated that the teacher practiced three sub‐identities in her teaching, namely, an English language teacher, a guide, and an academic advisor. Additionally, tensions within her identity as an English educator were identified, consisting of the popularity of technology‐driven tools in students’ English learning activities and the need to conduct research while not possessing sufficient research skills. The pedagogical insights generated underscored the importance of teachers’ agency and institutional support in resolving the tensions to facilitate experienced language teachers’ ongoing professional development and identity construction.

Audiovisual speech perception of multilingual learners of Japanese

ABSTRACT Due to the complex nature of languages and the way they are used, it is often difficult to research multilinguals because of the considerable variation in the ways their spoken languages may impact their perceptions. For this reason, foreign language education research has largely been focused on English L2 speakers, overlooking how different languages might impact perception in multilingual speakers. Focusing on Japanese as a Second Language (JSL) learners, this research investigated how multilinguals responded to audiovisual cues in Japanese and English. Utilising web-based eye-tracking technology facilitated by WebGazer.js. Participants were asked to complete a novel phonetic distinction task while their gaze behaviour was measured. Contrary to initial theoretical expectations, the findings did not reveal significant mediation by gaze behaviour on the relationship between multilingualism and task performance. However, the study found that when looking at the duration of fixation on the mouth, there's a significant difference between native English speakers and native speakers of Asian languages when listening to English or Japanese. These findings indicate that further research that explores the nuances of gaze behaviour among multilingual learners of non-English languages (such as Japanese) is necessary.

Speaking on the Way: A Simulation-Based Proposal for Primary-School EFL Learners

The main purpose of this case study was to investigate the possibilities of simulation-based learning in Teaching English as a Foreign Language in Greek Primary Education by focusing on the speaking skill. Following a thorough evaluation of the speaking section of the sixth grade’s coursebook, it became evident that the simulation-based activities had shortcomings that needed improvement. An alternative proposal of a simulation-based activity with a cultural focus revealed the complications of achieving successful implementation when it comes to simulation-based experiential learning. The findings that came from the recording of a specific learner’s responses revealed that the learner took up the challenge to try a different approach to communicating in English within the context of the EFL lesson. What is more, the proposed lesson plan created implications for exploring the EFL learners’ relationship to English-speaking cultures, i.e., British culture. Limitations of the study and directions for further research were also provided.