English As A Foreign Language Learners Research Articles

Empowering English as a Foreign Language Education With the Production-Oriented Approach: A Systematic Review

<p style="text-align:justify">The field of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instruction has gained recognition worldwide, particularly in non-native English-speaking countries. However, traditional teaching methods fall short of meeting the needs of today's EFL learners. In response, the Production-Oriented Approach (POA) has emerged as a new pedagogical approach to address these challenges. Despite its significant impact on EFL education, there is a lack of reviews on the POA. This study conducted a systematic review to explore the POA's effectiveness, challenges, and future trends. Using the PRISMA framework, 31 articles from reputable databases (Web of Science, Education Resources Information Center, Scopus, and Google Scholar) were analyzed, covering the years 2018 to 2023. The study's comprehensive analysis, employing Nvivo, revealed that the POA has immense potential for enhancing English learners' language skills, particularly in reading, speaking, writing, and translating. Moreover, the study highlighted the POA's positive influence on learners' affective factors, including motivation, confidence, critical thinking, and self-directed learning abilities. Nonetheless, the POA faces challenges for both teachers and learners, particularly during the transition from traditional methods and the associated increase in workload. Despite these challenges, this study unequivocally establishes the POA as an effective pedagogical approach for teaching EFL. Additionally, it identifies research gaps that must be addressed to sustain and improve EFL education in the future through further development of the POA.</p>

Enjoyable, anxious, or bored? Investigating Chinese EFL learners’ classroom emotions and their engagement in technology-based EMI classrooms

To explore the intricate connections between Chinese English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners' classroom emotions (anxiety, boredom and enjoyment) and their engagement within the context of English as a medium of instruction (EMI) in technology-based learning environments, four modified and validated questionnaires focusing on assessing emotions, engagement levels, and comfort with technology integration were administered to university EFL learners on the Chinese mainland. A structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis was employed to discern the direct and indirect influences of EFL emotions on engagement, considering the mediating effects of EMI and technology comfort. The results indicate that the indirect impact of emotions on learners' academic engagement through technology and EMI as mediators was significant at 95% confidence level. It means that 69% of changes in learners' academic engagement can be explained by interaction among learners’ emotions and their technology and EMI perceptions. These results imply that both technology-enhanced learning and EMI serve as significant mediators in the relationship between emotions and academic engagement. The positive estimates suggest that higher levels of positive emotions may lead to increased academic engagement through these mediated pathways. Our findings may have implications for pedagogical practices, curriculum development, and the design of technology-enhanced language instruction.

Dissecting subjective L2 (un)willingness to communicate among EFL learners: a Q methodology study

ABSTRACT This study used Q methodology to explore the subjective perspectives of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners regarding sources of willingness to communicate (WTC). A sample of 40 undergraduate students enrolled in an English language teaching program at a Turkish university was obtained. Based on their shared viewpoints, the participants were clustered into three groups: self-assured communicators, motivated communicators, and nervous communicators. Self-assured communicators exhibited high levels of self-confidence, while motivated communicators displayed strong and unwavering motivation to improve their speaking skills. Nervous communicators, on the other hand, showed noticeable signs of anxiety, impeding their WTC. This study provides evidence that an amalgamation of internal and external factors works in synergy to shape EFL learners’ WTC in the classroom. Recognising this interplay can lead to the development of targeted interventions and instructional approaches, improving L2 learners’ communicative behaviours. Understanding and addressing learners’ subjective experiences, particularly in relation to self-confidence, motivation, and anxiety, are key elements in enhancing their WTC and overall language proficiency.

E‐learning anxiety and satisfaction with online EFL courses in times of COVID‐19: A moderated mediation model of positive coping and gender

AbstractThis study proposed and statistically examined a research model to understand university learners’ satisfaction with online English as a foreign language (EFL) courses during the pandemic. Variables including e‐learning anxiety, positive coping, and gender were under investigation. These variables did not receive much attention in the previous literature, and yet they are considered essential to understanding satisfaction with online EFL courses. A total of 439 undergraduate EFL learners from a university in Taiwan participated in the present study. The technique of structural equation modeling was adopted to test the hypotheses in the moderated mediation model. This study discovered: (1) e‐learning anxiety had a negative impact on EFL learners’ satisfaction with online EFL courses; (2) positive coping was able to reduce the negative impact of e‐learning anxiety on satisfaction with online EFL courses; (3) males used more positive coping strategies than females, and they had better satisfaction scores as well. The results can enrich the current applied linguistics literature by providing an insight into the dynamics of these variables.

Informal digital learning of English and EFL learners’ willingness to communicate: investigating the mediating role of L2 grit

ABSTRACT Informal digital learning of English (IDLE) has recently become a heated debate in the realm of computer-assisted language learning. Despite the potential benefits of IDLE, the mediating role of English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ domain-specific grit in the relationship between IDLE and willingness to communicate (WTC) has yet to receive due attention. Therefore, the current study explored how L2 grit mediated the relationship between IDLE and WTC. A sample of 313 Iranian EFL learners filled out three questionnaires. The results of the mediation model analysis conducted with AMOS indicated that L2 grit fully mediated the association between IDLE and WTC. In other words, it was figured out that IDLE impacts learners’ L2 WTC indirectly through their grit. The findings of this study implied that enhancing perseverance and passion for pursuing long-term goals can help EFL learners benefit from IDLE-based activities for communicative purposes. Ultimately, suggestions for future research are offered.

Exploring Writing Anxiety during Writing Process: An Analysis of Perceptions in Chinese English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Learners

Writing anxiety has been identified as a significant obstacle for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners in China, with previous studies indicating that it can negatively affect writing performance. Despite this, most research on writing anxiety in the Chinese EFL context has focused on the relationship between writing anxiety and writing performance, with limited attention paid to exploring writing anxiety during the writing process and its sources in depth. This study applied a qualitative method to explore Chinese EFL learners’ writing anxiety in the writing process. Thematic analysis was used for analyzing data collected through semi-structured interviews with 18 Chinese EFL learners. The results revealed seven primary themes, including lack of knowledge about the writing topic, inexperience with the genre, challenges with brainstorming or coming up with ideas, trouble with structuring or arranging information, difficulty with integrating sources, linguistic difficulty, and negative or no feedback from instructors. The findings indicated that writing anxiety accompanies throughout the writing process. EFL learners need strategies to alleviate writing anxiety, including clear instructions on how to approach writing tasks, provision of appropriate resources, individualized feedback, and a supportive learning environment.

Second language learning motivation, life-long learning and 21st century skills in today's globalized world: A validation study

Knowledge production in today’s world presupposes skills necessary for successful knowledge construction and knowledge update. Such skills include English as a foreign language (EFL), life-long learning and 21st century skills. This study presents a quantitative pilot study (N=200) that examines the relationship between EFL learning motivation, communication in L1 and L2, some aspects of life-long learning and certain 21st century skills. The paper seeks to explore what this relationship is like and in what way these factors are connected and how they potentially impact one another. The study presents the validation of the instrument used for the research, and reports some of the preliminary findings. Based on the results, it is concluded that the ideal L2 self is a predictor of L2 learning motivation, willingness to use dictionaries and cooperation during EFL classes. The results also indicate that participants exhibit the necessary ICT and L1 skills for their studies of EFL, and positively relate to communicative situations with native and non-native speakers of English.

Machine Translation in EFL Learning: Chinese Undergraduates’ Use, Perceptions, and Machine Translation Literacy

Machine translation (MT) has been recently experiencing an upsurge in popularity within the realm of second language (L2) and foreign language (FL) education.This paper aims to present the findings of a questionnaire survey that investigated the use and perception of MT, as well as MT literacy, in English as a foreign language (EFL) learning among undergraduate students in China. A total of 936 online questionnaires were collected from one university in China, with corresponding statistical data analyzed thereafter. The results indicate that MT is prevalently and frequently used in EFL learning by both low- and high-proficiency respondents from diverse disciplines, highlighting an urgent need to improve their MT literacy. This study holds significant pedagogical implications, shedding light on best practices for the efficient use of MT in realm of language education, particularly in EFL education.

Generative Artificial Intelligence in the EFL Writing Context: Students' Literacy in Perspective

The birth of generative artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential of developing language learners' English as a foreign language (EFL) writing skills; however, there is a substantial need to ensure that these learners are literate of generative AI-based tools and their potential to enhance learning writing skills. Therefore, the study aims to detect language learners' generative AI literacy in learning EFL writing skills. To achieve this purpose, the descriptive-survey method was used; (278) respondents completed a 30-closed item questionnaire and answered three questions in a semi-structured interview. The results showed that language learners’ generative AI tools literacy in the EFL writing context is at a medium level. Also, the study sample’s responses were not affected by their specialization, but by their GPA and mastery level of using generative AI tools in learning EFL writing skills did impact their responses. The analysis of the interviews revolved around three major themes: Challenges, affordance, and suggestions. In light of the findings, recommendations and suggestions are presented.

Effectiveness of informal digital learning of English on EFL learners’ vocabulary knowledge: a mixed-methods investigation

This mixed-methods study examined the association between informal digital learning of English (IDLE) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ vocabulary knowledge (VK). A total of 365 EFL learners, including 172 males and 193 females, participated in the quantitative part, while 24 EFL learners (12 males and 12 females) participated in the qualitative part. The participants completed the Informal Digital Learning of English Scale (IDLES), an English vocabulary test, and wrote a reflective statement. Pearson correlation analysis, multiple regression analysis, and thematic coding analysis were employed to analyze the collected data. The findings revealed a significant positive correlation between IDLE and the EFL learners’ VK. Additionally, the results indicated that the EFL learners’ VK was influenced by all dimensions of IDLES, including IDLE-enhanced benefits, IDLE practices, others and support, authentic L2 experience, resource and cognition, and frequency and device. Moreover, four overarching themes emerged from the qualitative findings: having authentic learning experiences, receiving support from others, benefiting from quantity and diversity, and being motivated and confident. The findings evidenced that IDLE is an effective way of enhancing EFL learners’ VK as it can provide them with exposure to authentic and diverse English learning resources and activities beyond traditional classrooms.

A comparison of the effects of web-based vocabulary instruction vs. the conventional method on EFL learners' level of L2 lexical knowledge

Web-based training is a contemporary approach acknowledged as a proficient pedagogical strategy for imparting knowledge on L2 lexical items. The objective of this study was to investigate if the utilisation of web-based activities for teaching vocabulary items yields distinct outcomes in terms of acquisition and retention of L2 lexical items, as opposed to conventional procedures. Sixty university students at an intermediate level of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) were purposefully chosen for this study. These participants were then divided into two separate groups. The participants in the experimental group received instruction on the target vocabulary items in a computer-supported classroom. In this setting, they could practice the lexical items interactively through web-based activities. On the other hand, the control group was given the exact target words using traditional instruction methods to maintain consistency. However, students in the control group did not have the opportunity to engage with the dynamic and active nature of the web-based instructional environment. The findings of the study, which involved the administration of the Vocabulary Levels Test and subsequent analysis utilising tests and Analysis of Variance, revealed that English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners saw more improvement in their acquisition of second language (L2) lexical items when taught through web-based activities compared to traditional teaching methods. The implications of the data suggest that L2 teachers can enhance their teaching method by including web-based and online activities to educate students on how to acquire new vocabulary items effectively.

Education for Sustainable Development: Mapping Socio-legal and Eco-cultural Sustainability Topics in English Learning

This research aimed to identify socio-legal and eco-cultural values through the participatory mapping (PM) of local wisdom in supporting Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in higher education, which can potentially be applied to English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning. The research involved 14 English students at a private university in Bali, Indonesia. The participants were selected to take part in participatory mapping (PM) with community members at a remote village. The results of this study are documented in two major findings. First, with their collective knowledge gained from PM, the English students were able to identify socio-legal and eco-cultural values and utilize them contextually in their report writing. Second, undertaking participatory mapping prior to completing writing tasks in their EFL course could help students to better express their ideas and strengthen their English writing skills. The insertion of two aspects of sustainability in the EFL tasks involved incorporating local values into EFL learning. Through English students experiencing PM prior to completing their writing task, EFL learning can be conducted more authentically with the students paying greater attention to the local culture and values. By exploring socio-legal and eco-cultural sustainability as the core activity of PM in this research, the study contributes to our understanding of the way in which the integration of local values into EFL activities in Indonesia makes a tangible contribution to ESD.

Instrumental analysis of loss of assimilation of English nasal stops in adult Saudi EFL learners' speech

Assimilation of consonant sounds within words and at word boundaries is a common phenomenon in English. However, EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners may fail to observe the rule which makes their English sound sub-standard. This paper investigates whether adult Saudi EFL learners follow assimilation rules in English. Selected words and phrases spoken by a group of participants, where assimilated nasal sounds were used, were recorded using Praat software. Drawing spectrograms of the sound signals, time taken by participants to pronounce the assimilated sound segments was calculated. The time taken by native speakers of English to pronounce the same sound segments was also checked. The mean values of time taken by participants and native speakers to pronounce each assimilated sound segment were compared, with the assumption that if the participants took more time to pronounce the sound segments, they missed assimilation. The findings revealed that although in comparison to native speakers, Saudi EFL learners clocked slightly higher time duration, for most sounds the difference in time was not significant from the statistical point of view. The conclusion is that Saudi English learners are making efforts to be as close to native speakers as possible in using assimilated nasal sounds in English.

Using Adobe Connect application in an EFL context: Does it have an effect on learners' speaking skills

The main aim of the present study was to explore the impact of Adobe Connect on Iranian English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' speaking skills. Furthermore, the study investigated whether the learners' attitudes to language learning changed after using Adobe Connect. For that purpose, 100 upper-intermediate EFL students were chosen through the convenience sampling method. The selected students were randomly assigned to two classes. The experimental group applied the Adobe Connect application; however, the conventional teacher-fronted instruction was used for the control group. The results showed that the Adobe Connect class considerably outperformed in speaking skills in comparison to the control group. This demonstrated that the Adobe Connect application is effective in improving learners' speaking skills. The findings suggest that Adobe Connect has a positive impact on enhancing learners' speaking skills. The platform's interactive features promote engagement and collaboration, leading to improvements in fluency, accuracy, pronunciation, and confidence. The results also revealed that there was a difference in attitude change between the participants in experimental and control classes. Adobe Connect has enhanced EFL learners' attitudes toward language learning as well as speaking skills. Thus, it can be suggested that the Adobe Connect application is an effective online instrument that can be used by EFL teachers.

The Impact of a Simple Channel Factor on Vocabulary Learning of Iranian EFL Learners Across Genders

The concept of channel factors was introduced by Kurt Lewin to the field of psychology as seemingly unimportant circumstantial changes that could affect the trajectory of an endeavor. The primary goal of the present study was the examination of the impact of using a timeslot on Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners' performance on vocabulary, and the respective comparison based on gender. A total number of 180 male and female upper-intermediate EFL learners participated in this study. They were divided into six classes: two classes were not provided with the channel factor, two of them received it from the outset, and the other two were exposed to it in the middle of the semester. The participants, all of whom took three tests (pretest, mid-test, post-test), were categorized into six types based on their gender and the existence and timing of the channel factors. The results of data analysis through Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) revealed that the channel factor positively impacted the performance of participants regardless of gender. However, its impact was stronger on males in the short run but more endurable among females.

TikTok: How the Application Became the Motivation for Online Learning for EFL Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Indonesia

This research aims to determine whether the social media application TikTok effectively increases the motivation for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students to learn English using senior high school students in Tangerang, Indonesia, for the study. As 2022’s sixth most often used social media application in the world, TikTok provides many features that can be easily used for teaching and learning EFL. As a result, the researchers chose TikTok as a medium in the English teaching-learning process. A quantitative approach using a quasi-experimental design and data collection through pre-tests and post-tests was used by the researchers along with quantitative descriptive research used in the data analysis, normality test, homogeneity test, and hypothesis testing (Mann-Whitney U). The results can be seen from the pre-test and post-test analysis using the Mann-Whitney U test, namely sig < 5% (0.000 < 0.05), and H0 was rejected which means that there is a significant difference in students’ motivation when learning English between the experimental class who were taught using the TikTok application and the control class students who were not taught using TikTok.

An Investigation into Iranian English Language Learners’ Investment in Imagined Communities

Unlike communities of practice, previous studies on imagined communities of practice are scarce, yet enlightening. The present research was conducted in an English as a foreign language (EFL) context in order to provide more insight into how language learners perceive their imagined communities (ICs). It was based on Norton’s (2000; 2001) conceptualization of ICs which connected the notions of imagination and imagined community to second language (L2) learning and classroom practice. To this end, 945 male and female EFL learners from different cities in Iran belonging to different age groups and language proficiency levels were recruited for this study. The instrument for data collection was a validated 57-item questionnaire. The findings of the study showed that the participants possessed a moderate level of investment in their ICs. Moreover, t-test results indicated that there was a significant difference between male and female learners in the extent of investment in their ICs. Furthermore, the significant differences in the extent of investment in ICs were shown between teenagers and adults and between learners in low proficiency (LP) and high proficiency (HP) groups. These findings contribute to more in-depth understanding of language learners' ICs in an EFL context. Pedagogical implications of the study are discussed and some suggestions are made for future research.

EFL Learners’ Engagement And Its Academic Effects In Shadow Education: Phenomenological Study

In Indonesia, shadow education is becoming a promising educational business, which raises questions about the quality of the teaching at school and factors affecting such a phenomenon. The current phenomenological study aimed to find out kinds of engagement of ten Indonesian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in Shadow Education (SE). It would also highlight academic effects of shadow education in Indonesia. Grounded in the interpretive paradigm, the study employed a qualitative approach to gain an in-depth and holistic picture of EFL learners’ lived experiences at shadow learning in Indonesia. Data were collected mainly through observation and interview. The data were analyzed by using coding and categorized into themes and categories in the meaning making and interpretation process. The study revealed that students were engaged beahiorally, emotionally and cognitively in SE. Dealing with the students' participation in SE, it was found that SE gave good effects for students' academics, such as giving satisfaction, helping them to understand English and prepare examination. Theoretically, study is expected to give understanding on how shadow education affects student engagement and its academic effects. Practically. This study informed teachers about good ELT practices in the SE to be adapted in their classroom .

Translanguaging In Indonesian EFL Classrooms: A Comparative Case Study Of Pedagogical Strategies And Linguistic Identity

The convergence of language and education is crucial for achieving academic achievement in a world that is becoming more and more multilingual. The present study aims to investigate the impact of translanguaging on the positive perception of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) abilities, academic engagement, and comprehension among university students in Indonesia. This study investigates the impact of translanguaging on students' perceptions of their linguistic competence in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) settings. It utilizes qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with three EFL learners, namely Dewi, Dina, and Dewa. Additionally, the study explores how translanguaging practices contribute to the creation of inclusive and engaging classroom environments that cater to diverse linguistic backgrounds. Dewi, an advanced English as a Foreign Language (EFL) student, proposes a 75% utilization of English to enhance the development of linguistic skills. Conversely, Dewa favors a 25% utilization rate, giving priority to Indonesian to enhance conceptual understanding for learners at an intermediate level. Dina, an individual who is new to the subject, advocates for a balanced strategy that ensures equal exposure to both languages. The diverse tastes highlight the necessity for flexible teaching methods that may effectively address the multilingual environment of Indonesian education. The results indicate that translanguaging not only strengthens students' favorable self-perceptions and academic engagement but also improves understanding of intricate topics. Furthermore, the research sheds light on the potential of translanguaging as a pedagogical instrument that educators can utilize to establish learning environments that are both inclusive and efficacious. By strategically incorporating language, educators can acknowledge and make use of students' linguistic abilities, thus validating their identities and fostering a favorable attitude towards multilingualism. The research supports the adoption of an educational framework that not only facilitates but also acknowledges linguistic diversity, suggesting that this approach is crucial for academic progress in multilingual environments.

The Influence of AI-Based Translation Tools on the Translation of Dr. Ghazi Al-Qusaibi’s Poetry by Saudi EFL Learners

This study examines the impact of artificial intelligence-based translation tools on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners' ability to translate a poem written by renowned Saudi Arabian poet Dr. Ghazi Al-Qusaibi from Arabic to English. Fifty Saudi undergraduate EFL students participated in the research and were divided equally into an experimental group that used AI tools and a control group that did not. Both groups were asked to translate one of Dr. Al-Qusaibi's poems, which was then evaluated based on parameters like accuracy, fluency, use of poetic devices, and adherence to genre conventions. Results of statistical analyses found the translations produced by students in the experimental group scored significantly higher on most parameters compared to the control group. While both groups demonstrated accuracy in conveying the core meaning, the AI-assisted group showed advantages in areas like producing more fluent and coherent translations with fewer syntactic errors. Within the limitations of focusing on just one poet, the study provides insights into how strategic integration of AI during the translation process could help learners overcome challenges inherent to translating poetry, which relies so heavily on cultural contextualization and creative interpretation of symbolic language. Further research expanding the sample size and variety of source texts could yield a richer understanding.