English As Foreign Language Teachers Research Articles

Modeling English teachers’ behavioral intention to use artificial intelligence in middle schools

Artificial intelligence (AI) provides new opportunities for K-12 English as foreign language (EFL) teachers to improve their teaching. To address the emerging trend of integrating AI into teaching, this study investigated EFL teachers’ perceptions, knowledge, and behavioral intention to use AI to support teaching and learning of English in middle schools. This study combined relevant aspects of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) as the theoretical basis. A survey was conducted in an AI education demonstration district in China. This survey adopted a 5-point Likert scale which was developed from previous research and the interview records of EFL teachers. A total of 470 valid responses were collected. The reliability and validity of the scale were satisfied with eight constructs: Performance Expectancy (PE), Effort Expectancy (EE), Social Influence (SI), Facilitating Conditions (FC), AI language technological knowledge (AIL-TK), AI technological pedagogical knowledge (AI-TPK), AI-TPACK, and Behavioral Intention (BI). The results showed that the EFL teachers were positive with regard to the measured factors. PE, SI, AIL-TK, and AI-TPACK had significant positive predictive power on BI; and EE, FC, AI-TPK had indirect effects on BI. The complex interrelations were mapped out to provide educators and policymakers with a theoretically grounded scheme to foster teachers’ BI to use AI in teaching.

An Examination of the Factors and Challenges to Adopting Gamification in English Foreign Language Teaching

The purpose of this study is to identify key factors and barriers to implementing gamification in English Foreign language teaching. In alignment with the purpose of the study, the perspectives of English teachers (which grades) were obtained. This study was designed as a qualitative study. A total of 16 teachers participated in the study. Structured interview questions were used as the data collection instrument. The data obtained from the interviews were analyzed using content analysis. The result of the study demonstrated that most teachers use gamification in their English Foreign Language teaching. Some teachers who participated in the study indicated that gamification is very effective and important for their teaching and that they use gamification frequently in their teaching. Teachers emphasized that games facilitate language learning, ensure active class participation, make learning more enjoyable, and make the learning process effective and efficient. In addition, games facilitate the development of student language skills and make learning more enjoyable by making lessons interesting. Factors such as the occurrence of problems like irregularities, objections, and challenges during the game, the creation of a negative competitive environment, the extension of the time allotted for the game, and the creation of a noisy environment were found to be barriers to the use of gamification in the classroom. In addition, technical difficulties and problems with digital games, lack of technology and internet, technology, screen, and game addiction, and health/psychological issues are some of the main reasons why teachers do not use gamification in their EFL teaching.

Strategic competence, task complexity, and foreign language learners’ speaking performance: a hierarchical linear modelling approach

Abstract Understanding the intricate relationships among strategic competence, tasks and performance is an issue of perennial interest in the assessment of foreign/second languages especially in integrated speaking assessment, a field that is under-researched. Against this background, we investigated such complex relationships in the context of integrated speaking assessment of English as foreign language (EFL) learners, hoping to provide additional empirical evidence to address the problem. In the investigation, strategic competence was defined as metacognitive strategy use and was measured via an inventory administered on 120 Chinese university EFL students; task characteristics were conceptualised as task complexity and were measured on a self-rating scale by the students and five EFL teachers; and the students’ speaking performance was indicated by their scores on four integrated speaking assessment tasks. Data analysis through a hierarchy linear modelling approach led to two primary findings: Monitoring, one form of strategic competence, moderated the effect of task complexity on performance; strategic competence had no substantial effects on performance which had an inverse relationship with task complexity. These findings will add validity evidence for the foreign language speaking assessment literature and provide implications for speaking instruction and test development.

Teachers’ codeswitching in EFL classrooms: Functions and motivations

Codeswitching, which has become the subject of much debate and controversy among different scholars due to its pros and cons, is commonly employed in English as foreign language (EFL) classrooms. However, scant attention has been given to the functions and reasons of teachers’ codeswitching in the Ethiopian context. In an attempt to fill this gap, this study aimed to determine the functions and motivations of EFL teachers’ codeswitching practices. To this end, three English teachers participated in the study from one secondary school in Ethiopia. The study used audio-assisted observations, field notes and stimulated recall interviews as data collection methods in contrast to studies which relied only on self-reported data. Data were categorized according to Ferguson’s typology of functions of classroom codeswitching. The results indicated that teachers codeswitched for academic, managerial and social functions. Furthermore, this study revealed that students’ limited English proficiency, teachers’ beliefs, the types and the natures of language skills were the major influencing factors for their codeswitching practices. Thus, teachers need to be aware of codeswitching to use it as a valuable instrument for teaching English rather than adhering blindly to English-only rule and ashamed of codeswitching acts. Moreover, as codeswitching is an inseparable part of classroom discourse and something that should not be avoided, teacher training programs should incorporate codeswitching as an effective teaching strategy.

Form and Function of Teacher’s Questioning Technique in English Foreign Language Classroom Interactions

English Foreign Language (EFL) teachers most frequently deal with question types in their interactions with students. However, questioning is not only concerned with type but also with form and function. Therefore, this qualitative study aimed to examine the types, forms, and functions of the questions altogether raised by EFL teachers as they interacted with students. The researcher observed and recorded two college-level EFL teachers. Using the conversation analysis tenets, the data were transcribed and examined. The results have demonstrated that the teacher questions used were insufficient for the questioning activity. The form is related to the question type. Additionally, the teachers’ questions had diagnostic, educational, and motivating purposes. Therefore, it is advantageous for teachers to ask questions during class discussions if they have a comprehensive understanding of type, shape, and function.

EFL Teachers’ Awareness and Opinions on the 21st Century's Creativity and Innovation skill

Creativity and innovation skill is considered one of the important skills of the 21st-century education, in general, and in language education, in particular. This paper aims at investigating the awareness and opinions of English as Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ on the importance and use of creativity and innovation skill as one of the 21st-century foreign language education skills in EFL classes at the department of English, College of Basic Education, Salahaddin University. A questionnaire consisting of two parts has been used in order to achieve the aims of the study. The first part of the questionnaire, which includes five items, addresses the teachers’ awareness, while the other part, which is composed of three items, is related to the teachers’ opinions. Twenty EFL teachers, (10) males and (10) females, who are specialized in applied linguistics and general linguistics participated in the study. The study has found out that the teachers’ understudy are aware of the use and importance of creativity and awareness skill in teaching and learning English as a foreign language, and they also hold positive opinions on that. Moreover, there are no differences among the teachers in terms of their gender, academic rank, and teaching experiences to the awareness and importance of the use of creativity and innovation skill in teaching and learning English as a foreign language.

Sustainable Development of EFL Teachers’ Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) Situated in Multiple Learning Activity Systems

This study examined how Chinese college teachers developed their Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) by situating the learning process in three interactive activity systems during teaching English as foreign language (EFL) online in China. Data were collected from teachers’ diaries, in-depth interviews, and various records of online teaching. Findings indicated that teachers employed cultural artifacts, social relations, and beliefs and concepts to cope with difficulties that confronted their online teaching. They also performed sideways moves to new activities that provided systemic implications for the previous form of activity. Hence, the teachers constructed their TPACK through bi-directional learning within and between an online teaching activity system and its two interactive systems. This study highlighted the situativeness and distribution of TPACK development, and assumes significance in sustainable teacher development and further integration of information and communication technology (ICT) in English language teaching.

Translanguaging Pedagogy in Cameroon EFL/ESL Secondary Classrooms

First language rights in Cameroon EFL/ESL classrooms are marginally protected as they hardly meddle with teacher-student interactions. This study conducted in secondary grammar education in the Adamawa region seeks out English foreign language teachers’ attitudes towards translanguaging in the teaching of English. Teachers had to pronounce themselves on the importance of shuttling between English and French/Fulfulde during English lessons and state the conditions under which the use of students’ first language in second language teaching was suitable or detrimental to students’ growth in English. A population of 40 teachers was elicited through questionnaires and data analysis procedures adopted Ehrman, Leaver & Oxford (2003)’s theoretical framework. Findings revealed that a great deal of teachers reluctantly translanguaged when they taught English to French-speaking secondary students. They were more tolerant when students used French in class to meet their needs more than when they expressed themselves in Fulfulde. The challenge encountered by many teachers in the implementation of translanguaging pedagogy in classroom settings was mainly linguistic competence. Acknowledging EFL teachers’ shyness towards the use of learners’ L1 in the learning of second language, the researcher recommends a shift of paradigm in EFL teaching in Cameroon classrooms where the use of native languages by students should not be seen by their teachers as dramatic, odd, unproductive and shameful.

Vietnamese teacher educators’ perceptions of silence during online English as a Foreign Language classes

Teacher educators in university English as foreign language (EFL) classrooms often emphasise verbal communication alongside teacher-student relationships, students’ emotions, and the classroom climate. These factors all contribute to either encourage or discourage students’ willingness to communicate verbally (Butler, 2011). Yet, an area with limited research is understanding the teachers' perspectives of students' silence during online learning throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilising Redmond et al.’s (2018) conceptual model of cognitive, behavioural, and emotional engagement in online learning, we examine how three undergraduate EFL teacher educators in Vietnam interpret students’ silence while teaching EFL through online Zoom classes. Drawing on three in-depth semi-structured interviews (n=3 hours), findings indicated that silence was experienced by the teacher educators in different ways; as a thinking/learning opportunity, an indication of teachers' uncertainty, and as conscious disengagement.

The Changing Role of Chinese English-as-Foreign-Language Teachers in the Context of Curriculum Reform: Teachers' Understanding of Their New Role.

The New Curriculum Standards for teaching English introduced major changes in the culture of teaching and learning English in the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). Changes have been linked to changing goals for English instruction and a revision of Confucian values in schooling. In this article, we argue that this English curriculum proposes a new role, with new demands, for English-as-foreign-language (EFL) teachers in the PRC. In order to implement the curriculum reform successfully, teachers involved in the reform are required to have a shared understanding of its nature, purposes and scope. However, little is known about to what extent EFL teachers understand and engage with their new roles. This study examines teachers’ understandings of the new curriculum and of the new, demanding role of teachers implied by the curriculum. This is a mixed methods study involving an analysis of the curriculum document, a survey (n = 227) of EFL teachers and semi-structured interviews with a sample of teachers in the cohort (n = 18). The findings suggest that many teachers know the content of the curriculum document, but expressed uncertainty about the implications of changes, uncertainty about what a shift to student-centered teaching and learning means and confusion about new professional development demands. The findings of this study have wider implications for EFL teachers, teacher educators, researchers and policy makers in the PRC and similar national contexts. This article highlights that, from an international perspective, introducing new ideas and practices should consider teachers’ existing understanding and experiences of the curriculum as well as the way in which they understand the purposes of the changes, and should promote a shared understanding of policy intentions.

Exploring the viability of augmented reality game- enhanced education in WhatsApp flipped and blended classes versus the face-to-face classes.

The application of augmented reality games (ARG) as an emerging innovative technology has become a significant component of instructional learning contexts in recent years. ARG-based education as a form of student-centered learning situates students in a learning environment that integrates virtual elements with physical environments through three-dimensional pictures and videos on mobile devices for educational purposes. To connect the use of digital tools into the language classrooms and allow learners to view the real world, this study examined the viability of ARG-enhanced education on English foreign language (EFL) learners’ learning of giving and asking for directions in flipped and blended contexts. The study involved 60 EFL elementary students of homogenous English proficiency, organized into two comparative and one control group, with 20 participants in each group. For the pre-test, an 18-item multiple-choice test with one written and oral question was administered to assess the learners’ knowledge of asking for and giving directions. After taking the pre-test, the two comparative groups received 16 sessions of ARG-enhanced education (one with a blended and the other with a flipped classroom approach), while the control group received placebo instructions. The flipped group received the instructional materials preceding the online group, while the blended group received instruction in both online and face-to-face classes. The control group received instruction in a face-to-face context. After 8-weeks of treatment sessions, all participants of the study took the post-test. According to the results, both flipped and blended groups receiving ARG-enhanced education performed better than the control group in learning how to give and ask for directions. The results of this study may pave the way for EFL teachers and students to use ARG-based technology in online and traditional classes.

Sources of Foreign Language Teaching Anxiety Among Saudi Preservice English Teachers: A Qualitative Inquiry

This study sought to explore the sources of foreign language teaching anxiety experienced by non-native preservice English as foreign language (EFL) teachers. Fourteen preservice Saudi EFL teachers enrolled in a public university participated in this study during their teaching practicum. The study used a qualitative research design with an in-depth semi-structured interview as the data collection tool. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis techniques and the findings revealed five main causes of anxiety: (i) fear of making mistakes, (ii) fear of negative evaluation, (iii) teaching unfamiliar topics, (iv) lack of preparation, and (v) a large number of students in one classroom. Generally, the results provide important implications for further research development and educational practices.

Exploring the Relationship between Metalinguistic Knowledge and Communicative Competence of Chilean EFL Teacher Trainees

There is enough evidence that Metalinguistic Knowledge (MK) benefits second language (SL) and foreign language (FL) learners’ communicative skills and SL and FL teachers’ classroom performance, therefore it should be an important component in SL and FL teacher training. Very little is known, however, about Chilean English as Foreign Language (EFL) teacher trainees, who are, at the same time, language learners. The study reported here aimed to find out the correlation and regression of future Chilean EFL teachers’ MK and their Communicative Competence (CC). In order to measure their MK, two tests were used: the Metalinguistic Knowledge Test and the Grammaticality Judgement Test. In regard to their CC, the grades of the English CC Development Course were considered. The participants were 59 first year EFL teacher trainees of an EFL teacher training program of a Chilean university. General results show that there is a positive moderate correlation between MK and CC and that the GJT and the MKT explain 26,5 % of the CC Final Grade.

Students' Speaking Anxiety during Online Learning: Causal Factors and Strategies to Overcome Them (A Narrative Inquiry Study at Islamic Senior Secondary School (MAN) Insan Cendekia Gowa)

Anxiety has been considered as one of the obstacles in learning English and a common issue in the EFL teaching and learning. In speaking, it also debilitates the opportunity of English Foreign Language (EFL) students to speak English. Several studies have been conducted to discover the causes and straegies to overcome them in traditional classroom. To date, not many studies have focused on students’ anxiety in online learning. Therefore, this study was designed to reveal the causal factors of the students’ speaking anxiety and strategies to overcome them during online learning at Islamic senior secondary school setting. The study employed narrative inquiry approach and used interview as the main instrument of data collection. Four students of Islamic Senior Secondary School (MAN) Insan Cendekia Gowa whom selected to be the participants of the study using purposive sampling technique. The result of this study establishes two main findings. Firstly, the causal factors of students' speaking anxiety during online learning were divided into internal and external factors. The internal factors consisted of lack of confidence, shyness, fear of making mistake, and feeling insecure. The external factors consisted of lack of preparation, limited vocabulary, friends or classmates, embarrassment, teachers’ teaching style. The study found that the external factors are indicated as the most dominant causes of students' speaking anxiety. Furthermore, the study highlights several strategies used by the students to overcome their speaking anxiety, namely: good preparation (lecture note), peer seeking, keeping silent or calm, practice speaking at home, turning the camera off, using ‘google translator’, and limiting speaking duration.

The Research Competence, Critical Thinking Skills and Digital Literacy of Indonesian EFL Students

This project aims to investigate the relationship between English as Foreign Language (EFL) students’ research skills, critical thinking skills, and engagement with technology or their digital literacy. EFL students' research competence is expected to support their academic performance on writing papers and assignments. It also demands the development of their critical thinking skills. Their engagement in technology involves the use of social media, online networks, and the use of several applications. This study takes the sample of EFL students from two institutions, namely UIN Malang and IAIN Kediri, Indonesia, to see whether there is a similar performance in both Islamic higher education institutions in terms of students’ online research competence, critical thinking skills, and similar trend on the engagement with technology. The data collection method covers questionnaire and quiz. This result demonstrates a significant correlation between research competence and digital literacy. Concerning the insignificant relation between digital literacy and critical thinking, it proves that the digital literacy does not always automatically support the enhancement of critical thinking skills. Understanding the relationship between online research competence, critical thinking, and digital literacy is a crucial step in developing Indonesian EFL teaching syllabi and material supporting students' academic success in higher education context.

IMPROVING THE STUDENTS’ SPEAKING ABILITY THROUGH ZOOM APPLICATON AT POTENSI UTAMA UNIVERSITY

Regarding the worldwide use of virtual applications in the EFL teaching and learning process, there were a lot of obstacles and limitations. In developed countries as the USA, Europe, etc, they were able to manage how to use virtual application very successfully in teaching and learning process. Even though, the improvement of using each virtual application still needs more researches for specific applications’ effect. In this research, the writer used the zoom application as a tool to examine the effect on students speaking ability. The research consisted of 20 English students at Potensi Utama University. They were tested to know theirs speaking ability in scores and taught speaking material through zoom application. The zoom application was used in teaching the students of the third semester of the academic year (2020-2021). Data were collected from the study participants using an oral speaking test, an attitudinal questionnaire, and Semi-structured interviews. The results indicated that there was a significant improvement of students after studying using the zoom application. The progress of speaking ability is significantly found in fluency, pronunciation, grammar, comprehension, and vocabulary due to the virtual classes. However, using the zoom application could satisfy the lecturer and students. It showed the average scores of the Pre-Test were 49,1, Post Test-1 was 69,2 and Post-Test II was 90,7. There were a significant improvement from Pre to Post Test I and a higher figure at Post Test II. The questionnaire and interview findings also revealed that students generally had positive attitudes towards using zoom application as virtual classes particularly because they found it helpful and efficient in improving their speaking ability. In those findings, the researcher suggested using zoom application could be a favorite teaching method in the mids of the pandemic to increase students’ speaking ability. The words: EFL (English as Foreign Language), Zoom Application, Speaking Ability

The differential interplay of TPACK, teacher beliefs, school culture and professional development with the nature of in‐service EFL teachers' technology adoption

AbstractPrevious research has identified various internal and external factors that predict teachers' technology adoption. Limited studies have explored how these internal and external factors interplay to determine different types of technology use. This study used the survey responses of 280 English as foreign language (EFL) teachers to examine how two key external factors (ie, school culture and professional development) interact with the two constitutive internal components (ie, knowledge/skill and belief) to determine three types of technology use in teaching and learning (ie, technology for content delivery, technology for learning enrichment and technology for transformed education towards self‐directed learning). It identified the salience of school culture, professional development and TPACK over teaching and learning beliefs in determining technology use. It further revealed that these factors influenced the three types of technology use differently. The findings suggest a differentiated approach towards researching and supporting teacher technology adoption. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about the topic Belief factors (Beliefs about teaching), knowledge factors (TPACK) and contextual factors (school culture and professional development) are significant predictors of teacher technology adoption. What this paper adds When examined together, school culture, professional development and TPACK were the more significant predictors of in‐service EFL teachers' technology integration, and the contributions of the belief systems were minimal. The interactions of these factors vary for different types of teacher technology use. Implications for practice and/or policy Need differentiated considerations in supporting different types of teacher technology use. A favourable school culture is instrumental to teachers' technology use for content delivery and for supporting students' self‐directed learning. TPACK is most critical to the use of technology for learning enrichment.

The Importance of Instrumental Motivation among Students in Teaching English as Foreign Language (TEFL) Process

The aim of this research was to identify the category of students’ instrumental motivation and to describe the importance of instrumental motivation in the English learning process of English as Foreign Language (EFL) students. A quantitative descriptive method was used in this research to analyze the data. The subject of this research was 28 EFL students from the fourth semester students of English Education Study Program at STKIP-PGRI Lubuklinggau. The researchers used questionnaire and interview as instruments in obtaining the data investigation. Techniques for analysis the data were identification, calculation, classification, description and conclusion. The result of this research revealed that the students’ instrumental motivation was in strong category with total average 77.93 %. It meant that the categories level of motivation among the fourth semester students of English Education Study Program at STKIP-PGRI Lubuklinggau to study English is strong motivation. This proved that students had a very strong level of instrumental motivation. The students believed that a good way will be a good thing and motivation is enough to help them. With the aim of passing the exam, getting a job, having a better career, and getting a better future was their motivation in learning English. Automatically, it was proved that they had instrumental motivation, and it made them more motivated to achieve their goals though they learn English as foreign language. It indicated that instrumental motivation had an important role in the English learning process to the EFL students in English education study program at STKIP-PGRI Lubuklinggau. In summary, instrumental motivation was one of the factor that influenced the students to be success in learning a foreign language (English). This motivation was also very helpful in English learning process, because students who had this motivation show that they wanted to learn English seriously.

On the Iranian English as Foreign Language Novice and Experienced Teachers' Attributional Styles and Professional Identity.

Teacher professional identity (TPI) is a characteristic of a teacher, which should be developed in a long, consistent, and progressive process and usually shapes in any specific educational and social context. In addition to several factors influencing TPI, such as university education and empowerment courses, experience seems to play a significant role. Moreover, the role of psychological factors is highly undeniable in the formation and development of TPI. Attributional style (AS) is defined as the consistent way by which people can explain the reasons for the occurrence of good or bad events. Besides considering ASs as one of the crucial variables for academic success, it can be regarded as one of the aspects of shaping one’s identity in general and the teacher’s identity in particular. In order to study the relationship between AS and TPI of teachers regarding their experience, two questionnaires were distributed among 317 Iranian English as foreign language (EFL) teachers, and about 80% returned them. The researchers ran correlational analyses and they came up with a positive and significant relationship (p = 0.04) between TPI and teacher attributional styles (TASs) of teachers. Moreover, experienced teachers proved to have a significant difference from novice teachers regarding their TPIs. The findings of this study would hopefully be advantageous for teacher educators to educate pre-service teachers by ways of constructing identity, and they may be applicable for Iranian EFL teachers to know and focus on different aspects of their professional identity. Moreover, they learn how to manage the intervening factors and shape and empower different domains of their PI, such as teaching experience, by means of exploring and knowing their ASs.

THE IMPLICATION OF MORAL VALUES FOUND IN THE LYRICS ISLAMIC POP SONG ON TEACHING ENGLISH AS FOREIGN LANGUAGE (TEFL)

The purpose of the analytical research conducted by researcher was to find moral values in the lyrics of the best song of Sami Yusuf and the theoretical implication of Sami Yusuf's song for Teaching English as Foreign Language (TEFL). To find out the moral values contained in the song, the researcher examines each song's lyrics that contain educational moral values by applying several theories such as: Linda and Richard Moral Value, Webster and Buzan. This type of research is descriptive analysis research, where this research is carried out by analysing and describing the object of research which is supported by expert theories and various library sources. The research method used in this study is descriptive qualitative method. The sources of data were seven songs from the best song of Sami Yusuf. Method of collecting the data is triangulation: lyrics, interview and book review. The data of this study were analysed by following steps: reading tenth lyrics from the album, understanding the contents and analysing the moral values in the lyrics of songs. After analysing there were ten moral values contained in the lyrics of the song, it could build the good character for student and for the theoretical implication for TEFL could be concluded that moral values could be taught through songs.