English As A Foreign Language University Students Research Articles

The Relationship between Self-Efficacy and Self-Regulated Learning Strategies of EFL College Students

The research examines the facets of student-centred practices that students believe to be most advantageous. We focus specifically on the self-efficacy and self-regulated learning (SRL) techniques of English as a foreign language (EFL) college students since these strategies support students' progress in learning the language. In Mongolian English classes, teacher-centred instruction—in which teachers instruct pupils in a foreign language—remains the most common method. It is discouraged for students to focus on their learning strategies and content understanding. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between self-efficacy and SRL strategies of Mongolian EFL college students. A correlation analysis between variables was used to investigate the inter-relationship between self-efficacy and SRL strategies in L2 speaking of EFL students. The findings indicate that students who are driven to learn English are more likely to manage their time and exertion in the process of self-learning, based on the major findings of this study. Because the results clearly show that English instruction at Mongolia's higher education level has improved, the findings are especially noteworthy.

An Exploratory Study of Vocabulary Learning Strategies by Saudi Female First-year EFL University Students

The aim of this exploratory study is to investigate the vocabulary learning strategies (VLSs) used by 55 Saudi female freshmen students studying English as a foreign language (EFL). The participants were enrolled in their second level of English (ELI 112) in the university’s foundation program. To provide rich detailed data, the study integrated two research instruments to collect the data: a closed/open-ended questionnaire that adapted Schmitt’s (1997) taxonomy of VLSs, and a vocabulary diary learning log. The overall results of this study show that the participants used all the different VLSs at different rates. Participants tended to resort more to memory VLSs followed by determination, cognitive, social, and finally metacognitive strategies.

UNVEILING STUDENTS' CHALLENGES AND ATTITUDES TOWARDS PROJECT-BASED LEARNING IN ENGLISH-SPEAKING TERTIARY CLASSROOM

University students learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL) often struggle with speaking anxiety, limited practice opportunities, and performance pressure. This paper explores the challenges and attitudes of EFL university students towards Project-Based Learning (PBL) implemented in a speaking class at the tertiary level in the Indonesian context. The study included 35 university students from a public university in Indonesia. The researchers employed a mixed-methods approach to examine students' attitudes and challenges. Data were gathered through a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The analysis of the questionnaire revealed predominantly positive attitudes towards PBL. The interviews uncovered challenges, such as lack of confidence, pronunciation difficulties, time constraints, heavy workload, and performance anxiety. Despite these challenges, the students had positive attitudes, emphasising PBL's potential for enhancing speaking skills. The study recommends targeted interventions to address lingering challenges and refine PBL implementation.

Cultivating global citizenship education in higher education: Learning from EFL university students’ voices

This study outlines the perceptions and views of Jordanian students regarding global citizenship at university in terms of their knowledge of global citizenship education (GCED), curricula and instruction processes. The data were collected using semi-structured interviews with fifteen English as a foreign language (EFL) university students studying in the 2022–23 academic year. The findings reveal that students had a basic understanding of GCED, which was often confused with national citizenship. Universities delivered courses that touched on GCED-related topics without focusing on the subject and academic staff required more empowerment in designing curricula or addressing GCED, as students reported that educators often presented GCED topics directly, with limited emphasis on learner-centred approaches. The study concludes by proposing recommendations for the sustainable integration of GCED into universities, encompassing documents used throughout universities and classroom pedagogical practices. These suggestions have international implications.

The Use of Google Translate and U-Dictionary as Machine Translation for Translating Text: EFL College Student’s Preference and Perceptions

Several studies have investigated the effects of using Google Translate and U-Dictionary on translation products for English as a foreign language (EFL) student. However, students' preferences regarding these two machines’ translation for translating texts in EFL translation classes in Indonesia still seem relatively few and have not been much explored. This research aimed to determine which machine translation EFL college students prefer for translating their text. This study used a qualitative case study approach. In investigating students’ preferences, questionnaires, and in-depth interview were used as data collection tools. Seventeen students were selected by purposive sampling and were administered an online questionnaire. Then, students participated in in-depth interviews and obtained further information from an online questionnaire. We then analyzed the data using two techniques, including frequency counts for quantitative data and qualitative analysis through thematic analysis for qualitative data. The findings reveal that students prefer Google Translate over U-Dictionary for three reasons. First, they consider Google Translate as a complete machine translation with various features that help them translate text. Second, Google Translate increases student's knowledge of new vocabulary. Third, Google Translate makes the translation process more accessible for students. It is so easy to access. However, U-Dictionary also received high marks because students felt more confident in the accuracy of the U-Dictionary translation results. Therefore, it is believed that combining these two machines’ translations will make the student's translation process more accessible

EFL University Students’ Acceptance and Readiness for e-Learning: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

The use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has become essential approach in the field of language learning especially for English as a foreign language (EFL) education. Because ICTs are widely use in higher education, students must be highly digitally proficient and have positive attitudes in order to efficiently manage their classes. Thus, the purpose of this study is to contribute to the literature on EFL university students’ perspectives regarding e-learning integration. In this study we extend the technology acceptance model (TAM) to investigate the factors that influence e-learning acceptance and readiness in the context of foreign language learning. Quantitative method was applied in this study, which involved 298 student teachers of English department at a state university in Indonesia. The instrument used in collecting the data was a questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed by using Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with the SmartPLS3 program. PLS-SEM was used to analyze the proposed hypotheses developed in fulfilling the study objectives. The results indicated the complex relationships between the perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived enjoyment, motivation, self-efficacy, attitude and actual use of e-learning. Furthermore, the findings revealed that perceived enjoyment and self-efficacy did not have significant influence on actual use of e-learning through the mediating role of perceived usefulness. The findings can help both instructors and students adjust the integration of e-learning in English learning by implementing a learning curriculum and needs that are in line with the user's initial usage objectives, so that users can recognize the importance of e-learning's ease of use and usefulness. This study contributes to educational institutions and e-learning developers to consider developing e-learning apps that support student-centered learning with useful and ease of use to improve students' attitudes towards the use of e-learning. By incorporating e-learning into English language learning, students will have more time to practice and improve their English language skills.

Book clubs as a possible approach to bibliotherapy: an L2 online book club for EFL learners

ABSTRACT In the spring of 2022, I started an online book club for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners in a university in Shanghai. Over the research period of four months, eight participants who joined this book club and stuck around until the last book talk meeting were interviewed. They met every 2 weeks online to talk about the stories. The findings show that a group of Chinese EFL college students’ expectations for this L2 (a second language) book club, such as improving English, enjoying reading, and relaxing, have been met. It concludes that book clubs could be a possible approach to bibliotherapy.

Exploring the Effects of Using Podcasts on EFL College Students with Low English Proficiency Listening Comprehension

This study delves into the impact of using Podcasts on college students with low English proficiency. The objectives of the study encompass understanding students’ attitudes toward Podcasts concerning listening comprehension, evaluating the influence of Podcasts on motivation for listening skills, and comparing pre-test and post-test results. Employing a mixed-method design, quantitative data were gathered through pre-and post-tests as well as a questionnaire, while qualitative data were derived from semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed that a majority of students exhibited improvement in their post-test results, underscoring the effectiveness of Podcasts. The responses from the questionnaire indicated that the students derived high levels of enjoyment and experienced improved skills as a result of Podcast usage. Notably, motivation and vocabulary acquisition also displayed significant gains. The semi-structured interviews further corroborate the positive impact of Podcasts on language acquisition. Podcasts actively engage students through their versatility and stimulating content, fostering positive attitudes, motivation, and enjoyment. Ultimately, this study highlights Podcasts as a valuable tool for enhancing language education, offering autonomy, exposure to authentic materials, and heightened engagement. This study recommends further exploration of Podcasts’ efficacy for college students of English by conducting larger-scale studies encompassing diverse proficiency levels and extended timelines. Incorporating student perspectives and insights into future research endeavors will enrich understanding and application. This study contributes to the enhancement of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students’ listening skills through the integration of Podcast, providing a foundation for future investigations.

Vocabulary Complexity in EFL University Students’ Academic Texts

This paper examines students’ use of vocabulary in English as a foreign language (EFL) in academic writing. However necessary, the specific vocabulary used by students in academic EFL settings has not received sufficient attention. Thirty-one EFL students at a Costa Rican public university participated in this study, which was conducted over the course of a year. The researcher collected data from participants’ final research papers and used specialized software to determine their vocabulary usage. Data analyses indi- cate that: 1) lexical variety is above average, 2) students’ academic vocabulary is high but does not include all the possible subtypes, 3) students range between a C1 and C2 English level in the English Vocabulary Profile (EVP) distribution, and 4) metadiscourse markers are used but highly repetitive in students’ papers. These conclusions are con- sistent with the reviewed literature; they imply a high degree of variation across popula- tions. Furthermore, the analysis suggests that direct instruction may broaden students’ lexicon. These findings should serve as a springboard for implementing new teaching strategies that stimulate a curricular evaluation of the study plan.

A Systematic Review of Interventions Improving University Students’ EFL Writing Competence

Writing competence in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) is a critical skill for university students, as it affects their academic and career success. However, many EFL university students are not capable of writing English compositions and face considerable challenges in developing their writing skills. To address these challenges, various interventions have been proposed, yet few studies have integrated them in recent years. This study employed PRISMA guidelines to analyze forty-two empirical studies on interventions improving university students’ EFL writing competence based on peer-reviewed journals published between 2012 and 2022. The review identified the types of interventions, evaluated their effectiveness in improving students' writing competence, and provided recommendations for teachers and future researchers. Findings showed that teaching instruction, feedback, cooperative learning and modern technology were applied into teaching activities, which improved university students’ EFL writing competence to various degrees. Teachers are required to select suitable interventions or combine different interventions to help university students to effectively solve problems in English writing. Furthermore, the findings will make a contribution to understanding recent interventions in EFL writing instruction in university settings, providing a reference for educators to develop evidence-based practices to enhance university students’ EFL writing competence.

Emotion and cognition are two wings of the same bird: Insights into academic emotion regulation, critical thinking, self-efficacy beliefs, academic resilience, and academic engagement in Iranian EFL context

Academic emotion regulation (AER), critical thinking (CT), self-efficacy belief (S-EB), academic resilience (AR), and academic engagement (AE) are all important factors for the success of university students, but their connections have not been thoroughly investigated in Iran. This study aimed to address this research gap by exploring the impact of AER and CT on the state of S-EB, AR, and AE among university students in the English as a foreign language (EFL) context of Iran. The Academic Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, the Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal Form A, the Self-efficacy Scale, the Academic Resilience Scale, and the SInAPSi Academic Engagement Scale were administered to 411 Iranian EFL university students. The results of structural equation modeling demonstrated that high levels of AER were associated with higher levels of S-EB, AR, and AE. Additionally, CT was found to positively impact S-EB, AR, and AE. The findings contribute to the understanding of the relationships between AER, CT, S-EB, AR, and AE and have practical implications for the implementation of AER and CT in L2 classrooms.

Technology integration of using digital gameplay for enhancing EFL college students’ behavior intention

This abstract presents a research study that investigates the effects of technology integration (TI) through digital gameplay on English as a foreign language (EFL) college students’ behavior intention. The study employs a mixed-methods research design, combining quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis methods. The quantitative phase involves a pre- and post-test design, measuring the behavior intention of EFL college students before and after engaging in digital gameplay activities. The qualitative phase involves in-depth interviews and focus group discussions to gather students’ perceptions and experiences with using digital gameplay in their language learning process. The findings reveal that TI through digital gameplay positively influences EFL college students’ behavior intention, including their motivation, engagement, and self-efficacy in language learning. The qualitative data provide insights into students’ perceptions of the benefits and challenges of using digital gameplay, highlighting its potential for improving language skills, fostering social interaction, and promoting autonomous learning. The implications of the study suggest that incorporating digital gameplay in EFL college classrooms can be an effective approach to enhance students’ behavior intention and contribute to their language learning outcomes. This study contributes to the existing literature on TI in language education and provides practical recommendations for educators and policymakers to leverage digital gameplay for enhancing EFL college students’ behavior intention.

Yet another look at strategies for learning grammar: Validating the Grammar Learning Strategy Inventory in the Iranian EFL context

This study aimed to validate the 70-item Grammar Learning Strategy Inventory (GLSI), originally developed in Poland, in the Iranian English as a foreign language (EFL) context. A heterogeneous sample of 605 Iranian EFL university students completed the GLSI. Results of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed a seven-factor model, allowing for the construction of a reduced version of the GLSI including 36 items. The underlying structure of grammar learning strategy (GLS) use corresponded to the classification that served as a basis for the GLSI. Thus, the division into metacognitive, social, affective, and cognitive GLS, the latter of which are further subdivided into focus-on-form GLS, explicit knowledge GLS, implicit knowledge GLS, and corrective feedback GLS, is conceptually valid in the Iranian context. However, the drastic reduction in the number of items might indicate that the actual nature of learning L2 grammar in the Iranian context might be different and that the GLSI may have failed to capture some GLS that Iranian students may draw upon. More research, preferably such that would combine quantitative and qualitative methodologies, seems indispensable for developing a research tool that can be more reflective of the specificity of GLS use in the context under investigation.

Integrating Technology into Language Teaching Practice in the Post-COVID-19 Pandemic Digital Age: From a Korean English as a Foreign Language Context

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a transformation in the traditional teaching practices of language classrooms in the post-COVID-19 pandemic digital age. The surge of innovative pedagogical resources and options has played a significant role in this transformation. The integration of digital technology has been recognized as a crucial means of promoting digital literacy, which is regarded as an essential skill in the current climate. In the realm of language education, this paradigm shift has encouraged educators to adopt new technological components and incorporate them into their course contents and activities to cater to the needs of the new digital generation of learners. The purpose of this study is to identify the impact of integrating social networking services such as KakaoTalk and YouTube into mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) in supporting Korean English as a foreign language (EFL) university students’ language learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilizing a mixed-methods research design, the study gathered quantitative and qualitative data through survey questionnaire, online interview and interactive presentation tool. The result of this study revealed that the integration of social networks and MALL could support EFL university students’ language learning experience and boost students’ motivation and engagement in their learning process. This study also suggested that the concept of MALL could contribute to cultivating positive dynamics of classroom interaction. The findings of the study highlight the benefits of incorporating technology in language education and the importance of adapting teaching methods to meet the evolving needs of learners in a rapidly changing post-COVID-19 pandemic digital landscape.

The Role of Humour in Motivating EFL University Students in Sulaimani City

A substantial body of research has been conducted on increasing EFL students’ motivation in EFL classes. Different pedagogical techniques have been defined, and humour is undoubtedly one of them. For English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom, various methods have been found effective, and humour is also one of the effective techniques to help the learning process in EFL classrooms. This paper is an extraction from the Ph.D. dissertation of the author, entitled “‘Investigating the Use of Humour in Teaching Kurdish EFL University Students in Sulaimani City’, in which it was attempted to investigate the role of humour on EFL students in Sulaimani City universities. The current article is based on the hypothesis that humour is a highly effective technique that motivates students and helps them in learning in EFL classrooms. The role of humour in EFL classrooms with Kurdish backgrounds needs more investigation. The current paper emphasizes the role of humour on motivation from the perspectives of EFL first-year students from Sulaimani Polytechnic University (SPU). A quantitative method was employed in which 100 students were given a 30-item questionnaire to explore their perspectives on the use of humour. The study finds that a considerably high number of the students were in favour of humour to be used by their teachers during their classes as they find it very helpful and motivational, which helps them in the language learning process.

Cultural Dimensions and Pragmatic Failure: The Case of Moroccan EFL University Students

This study examines the impact of cultural values on the production of three speech acts (complaints, apologies, and refusals) by Moroccan Learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). The study involves three groups of participants: Moroccan EFL learners (MLE), American speakers (AE), and Moroccan Arabic speakers (MA). The objective of this cross-cultural pragmatic study is to explore and identify the extent to which pragmatic failure can be attributed to the cultural value and dimensions of the learners rather than their linguistic incompetence. Participants were given Discourse Completion Task questionnaires to elicit their reactions to various situations. The results, based on Hofstede's cultural dimension framework (2010) and Hall's cultural specifications (1976), showed that culture has a significant effect on the performance of the speech acts under investigation. Findings suggested that cultural specificities do affect the pragmatic choices made by the interlocutors across the three groups of informants.

Exploring self-regulated writing strategies: A comparison between paragraphs and essays

Writing requires a complex skill, and thus students need to regulate themselves in employing the appropriate strategies to achieve good writing performance. The present research investigated Self-Regulated Writing (SRW) strategies used by EFL (English as a Foreign Language) university students. It contrasted the students' strategies related to the complex structure of the texts (i.e., paragraphs and essays) and students’ writing performance. The data information came from two separate sets of self-regulated learning strategy questionnaire, as well as writing outcomes of the students. Descriptive statistics and the Mann-Whitney U test were utilized to evaluate the data. The six dimensions of SRW strategies were extensively utilized in paragraph and essay writings. The six dimensions include motive, method, time, performance, physical environment, and social environment. Interestingly, the social environment dimension had the highest mean score, showing that the students needed assistance from their peers and available learning resources. Meanwhile, the motive dimension obtained the lowest mean in both paragraph and essay writings. Furthermore, the analysis showed no significant statistical difference in using SRW strategies in writing paragraphs and essays except in the method dimension. The difference in strategy use based on achievement was also not significant. The results indicate that the students applied similar SRW strategies in paragraph and essay writings regardless of their proficiency levels. Pedagogical implications and recommendations for future research are also further discussed in the article.

INVESTIGATING KURDISH EFL STUDENT’S TRANSLATION OF METAPHORICAL EXPRESSIONS AT THE UNIVERSITY LEVEL

The current study is an extracted paper from an MA thesis that relates to exploring the ability of Kurdish undergraduate students of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) to translate English metaphorical expressions into Kurdish Language and vice versa. Furthermore, it aims to highlight the most frequently applied strategies in translating English and Kurdish metaphorical expressions and the challenges that EFL students encounter in their translations. The study adopts three models: Lakoff and Jonson (1980), Larson (1984), and Farahzad (1992). Based on these models, a test is administered to 143 students to gather the quantitative data. Additionally, a semi-structured interview was conducted with six university lecturers to collect the qualitative data. The results show that the ability of Kurdish EFL students at the Colleges of Basic Education/English Department to translate English and Kurdish metaphorical expressions is very low and minimal. Moreover, the most frequently applied strategies are metaphor to another metaphor with the same meaning and transference of meaning without the metaphorical image for Kurdish and English metaphorical expressions, respectively. It also reveals that the majority of the students have difficulty in translating ontological types of metaphorical expressions, and the inability to find appropriate or near-like equivalents, insufficient Kurdish resources and cultural differences between the source and target languages are challenges that EFL university students face in their translations.

Empowering Chinese college students in English as a foreign language writing classes: Translanguaging with translation methods.

Learning activities based on translation has attracted increasing attention among researchers in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching and learning under the influence of translanguaing pedagogies. This study was designed to examine the effect of translation methods as pedagogical tools on students' writing performance in EFL classrooms. 89 Chinese college students participated in the study. They were required to complete tests of essay writing before and after the use of the translation method. Nine students were invited to attend an interview after the writing test. Results showed that the students improved their essay writing performance significantly after the translation method. The participating students' confidence and interest in essay writing were also enhanced. Findings from the study have important implications for effective writing instruction for Chinese EFL college students.

An Output-oriented Approach to the Impact of Online Written Languaging on Form-Focused Writing Tasks

Background. Despite the growing interest of second language acquisition (SLA) researchers in the languaging process, a few studies have been done on its dynamic attributes in various writing tasks.
 Purpose. This study investigated how online written languaging (WL) might impact English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) learners’ performance on form-focused writing tasks with production-based and comprehension-based output orientation in Google Docs, and how the output orientation of form-focused writing tasks could determine the WL attributes of quantity and focus.
 Methods. To do so, 112 Iranian EFL university students were selected and assigned to four parallel groups. In an eight-week experiment, two groups worked on gap-filling tasks (production-based) and two groups on error-identification tasks (comprehension-based) in parallel ±WL conditions.
 Results. Statistical analysis indicated a significant interaction between task output orientation and WL production. So, on both production-based and comprehension-based tasks, the +WL groups outperformed the ˗WL groups. Moreover, in the +WL condition, the task output orientation determined the quantity of WL episodes, but not their focus on grammar (G-WL) and lexis (L-WL) in production-based and comprehension-based tasks. As such, the +WL group who completed the production-based tasks produced much more WL episodes than the +WL group who completed the comprehension-based tasks. Yet, both groups equally produced more L-WL episodes than G-WL episodes.
 Сonclusion. The study had several implications for language teachers to maximize learning opportunities by teaching how to language in various writing tasks on online platforms. The L2 teachers are also recommended to adopt an alternative approach to translation as a form-focused writing task.