English As Foreign Language Research Articles

The use of interactive fairy tales to enhance listening skills in EFL learners

The integration of interactive technology in language learning offers innovative ways to enhance listening skills, a critical area for English Foreign Language learners. This research examines the effectiveness of interactive fairy tales in improving listening comprehension and engaging students in language practice. The primary objective of this study is to assess the use of interactive fairy tales on enhancing listening skills in English Foreign Language learners through digital storytelling tools. This study employs a mixed-methods approach, integrating both quantitative and qualitative techniques. Data collection involved observations and questionnaires to analyze the effects of interactive fairy tales on EFL learners' listening skills. The population was 27 students of eighth grade; participants engage with interactive fairy tales on a dedicated web page over four weeks. Observations monitored learner interaction and engagement, while pre- and post-interventions questionnaires assessed changes in listening skills, motivation, and overall experience. The results revealed significant progress in students’ listening skills after the intervention. Pre-test data showed 74% failing to meet the required learning outcomes, with no mastery achieved. Post-test results reversed this trend, with 55% achieving the required outcomes, 41% demonstrating mastery, and 0% failing. Observations displayed increased engagement and comprehension but noted technical issues and hesitancy in shy students. In conclusion, the web page proved effective in enhancing listening skills, with room for improvement in addressing limitations and maximizing participation.

Exploring Vietnamese Teachers’ Pedagogical Practices in Integrating Skills in General English Classrooms

The integrated skills approach is widely recognized for its potential to enhance students’ English proficiency and foster greater classroom engagement. Despite the growing body of literature on integrated skills, limited research has examined how teachers have implemented this approach in a Vietnamese university context. This study explored the pedagogical practices of English foreign language instructors in integrating skills within General English classrooms. A mixed-methods design was employed, with quantitative data from a closed-ended questionnaire administered to 102 instructors who were selected through convenience sampling in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and qualitative data obtained from structured interviews with 12 purposefully selected lecturers. The findings from both data sources converge, revealing that teachers’ application of integrated skills in the classroom remains limited, with their teaching practices characterized by traditional and inflexible methodologies. In the five teaching domains of integrated practice, instructors demonstrated competence in designing follow-up activities and selecting appropriate thematic content. However, they faced challenges in effectively implementing integrated teaching methods, activities, and testing. Furthermore, factors such as student attitudes and teachers’ skill levels were found to directly impact the effectiveness of integrated skills teaching. These findings guide the five domains for teachers to apply in classrooms and underscore the need for teachers’ training programs to support effective integrated skills teaching. This study advocates professional development programs to equip teachers with the knowledge and skills to implement integrated pedagogies effectively.

Anxiety vs. Understanding: How Reading Stress Affects Language Learners' Comprehension?

This study examines the relationship between students' foreign language reading anxiety and their reading comprehension. It involved 28 eleventh-grade students from SMK Yarsi Medika in Kabupaten Tangerang. The research used a correlational design, with the English Foreign Language Reading Anxiety Inventory (EFLRAI) to measure reading anxiety and a reading comprehension test to evaluate students' abilities. The findings showed that most students experienced moderate levels of reading anxiety, with bottom-up anxiety (related to unfamiliar vocabulary) being the primary cause. The correlation analysis revealed a weak negative relationship between reading anxiety and reading comprehension (correlation coefficient = 0.053), which was not statistically significant (p = 0.788). These results suggest that reading anxiety does not have a significant impact on reading comprehension in this group of students. The study concludes that although students feel anxious during reading activities, this anxiety does not notably affect their ability to understand English texts.

Adapting a European standard to assess English foreign language pre-service teachers’ language proficiency in Vietnam: perspectives from universities and pre-service teachers

ABSTRACT The Common European Framework of Reference has been adopted and adapted globally in language teacher education. In Vietnam, pre-service teachers of the English language are required to reach the advanced level (C1) of the Common European Framework of Reference - Vietnamese Version as a condition to graduate and become language teachers. This article examines the perspectives of universities and pre-service teachers on this requirement. It draws on 37 interviews with university leaders, lecturers, and pre-service teachers. The findings indicate how universities and pre-service teachers respond to the National Foreign Language Policy. The active role of universities in finding ways to improve pre-service teachers' English proficiency and the proactive efforts of pre-service teachers in meeting the required standard can be seen as a positive indicator. However, the findings show a number of both visible and hidden dissonances between the reality and Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training's expectation, between pre-service teachers and leaders and between a cohort of pre-service teachers who aim for globally recognised standardised level and the university training systems which are only capable for institutional localised tests. The study shows that some preservice teachers stressed the importance of pedagogical knowledge over language competence.

Efficiency of Movies Compared to Traditional Instruction Methods in Language acquisition: A Comparative Analysis of English Language Acquisition in a Foreign Language Classroom

Learners' perceptions of the learning and teaching strategies for a second language (L2) play a crucial role in developing effective assessment methods, as they provide genuine feedback on the effectiveness of these approaches from the learners' perspective. This study aims to explore the views of Saudi and Sudanese students regarding the effectiveness of using films compared to traditional English language instruction. An online questionnaire was employed for data collection, consisting of ten targeted questions which focused on specific aspects of language acquisition. The results indicated that films serve as a more effective medium for language acquisition for both Saudi and Sudanese English learners. Students reported that they were able to grasp pragmatic cues, cultural elements of the L2, and other linguistic features more rapidly through films than through conventional teaching methods. There was no significant difference in the perceptions of Saudi and Sudanese students regarding the effectiveness of films in language acquisition. This finding reinforces the notion that films are widely favored among English as Foreign Language (EFL) learners. The study recommended that the use of films as educational resources should be further integrated into the curricula of EFL/ESL classes in both Sudan and Saudi Arabia.

The effects of aural and written vocabulary instruction on second language listening comprehension

ABSTRACT This study explores the effect of aural and written vocabulary instruction on the listening performance of less-skilled intermediate English as Foreign Language (EFL) learners. English language learners (N = 124) at a high school in Iran took the Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT), and 100 were identified as less-skilled intermediate learners. They were randomly divided into two experimental groups called written vocabulary instruction (N = 31), aural vocabulary instruction (N = 33), and one control group called no vocabulary instruction (N = 36). The two experimental groups received either an aural or written vocabulary instruction spanning six sessions. In contrast, the control group followed a regular classroom approach without receiving written or aural vocabulary instruction. All participants undertook the listening component of the Key English Test (KET) before and after the intervention. The results suggested that the experimental groups had a higher gain in terms of listening performance than the control group, with a moderate effect size. In addition, no significant difference was found between aural vocabulary and written vocabulary instruction. Discussions address how the interventions applied in the current research can inform classroom practice, and directions for future research are suggested.

Translanguaging and culturally sustaining pedagogies: A mutually dependent relationship?

AbstractTranslanguaging has increasingly been embraced in equity‐oriented research on foreign language teaching, yet with variable engagement with complex models of culture. In this article, we investigate the nexus of translanguaging and culturally sustaining pedagogies (CSP) as one response to this shortcoming. Extending previous research theoretically and contextually, our comparative case‐to‐case synthesis examines this nexus in English foreign language (EFL) teaching through ethnographic and participatory methods with students belonging to historically oppressed peoples in Europe, including Indigenous Sámi (Norway) and Roma (Spain) students, respectively. In the Norwegian case, student translanguaging demonstrated possibilities to shift English teaching toward CSP in a setting where such pedagogical practices were largely absent. In the Spanish case, the creativity favored by pedagogical translanguaging became essential for the students to expand their cultural perspectives and grow through English in an extracurricular implementation of CSP. Together, these cases demonstrate the mutual dependence of CSP and translanguaging.

Enhancing Medical Collocation Competence through a Lexical-Based Approach on Writing among Saudi EFL Medical Learners

The present research aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed lexical approach in improving English Foreign Language (EFL) students’ Lexical knowledge, particularly their ability to use medical collocations in writing within the medical English context. This paper adopted a mixed methods approach; the quantitative data was obtained from a survey conducted on (24) English Foreign Language (EFL) medical learners at Majmaah University, Saudi Arabia, whereas the qualitative data was obtained from interviews with (5) of the participants. The purpose of the study was to identify students’ attitudes toward the benefits and possible difficulties of learning medical collocations. The study establishes their significance in enhancing academic and professional writing as students exhibit adequate motivation to understand medical collocations. However, the study points out the following limitations including inadequate perceptions of culture and lack of practice as key barriers that affect its acquisition. The study suggests that several changes should be made in the context of medical ESP curricula, including systematic instruction in medical collocations, as well as offering the students authentic practice in using knowledge gained throughout the process. Through this study, a noble contribution is provided to the field of applied linguistics since medical collocations are viewed as an impactful method of enhancing EFL learners’ performance in medical English and as a result strengthens their academic and professional oral and written communication abilities as well.

Error Analysis in Written Tasks of Albanian-Speaking GFL Learners at B1 Level: Common Types and Causes

Understanding common errors that students of a foreign language make and their causes can enhance our ability to adjust teaching methodologies. This paper aimed to analyze errors that Albanian students of German language and literature make when writing texts in German as a foreign language. This qualitative and quantitative analysis set out to identify and classify errors and find the causes of errors. The study is based on 100 students of German at the B1 level, including participants from language schools and first-year students from the German Department at the University of Prishtina “Hasan Prishtina”. Students were required to submit written texts for analysis. The analysis of these texts was used to address the following research question: What are the typical and recurrent errors made by learners of German as a foreign language (GFL) and what are their causes? The analysis of written texts showed that errors occur at all linguistic levels, with grammatical errors being the most common, followed by orthography and punctuation and syntax. Most errors arose from interference between the native Albanian and the foreign language English, followed by competence and overgeneralization.

Fairness in language classroom assessment practices: what do EFL teachers underscore?

Studies have confirmed that fair assessment practices in educational contexts affect learners’ motivation, self-regulation, and above all teacher credibility, yet the concept has been subject to educational stakeholders’ diverse outlooks and perspectives. On this basis, this study delves into the high school English as Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ understanding and perceptions of fairness of assessment practices in Iranian educational contexts. Thus, 105 conveniently selected EFL teachers of Junior/Senior high schools took the Classroom Assessment Fairness Scale (CAFS) consisting of 35 Likert scale items that tap into the five dimensions of the concept. The obtained questionnaire data were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistical analyses, the results of which revealed that Iranian English teachers were cognizant of different principles of fairness in classroom assessment, and they were quite conscious of the significance of its different components. Additionally, the findings demonstrated that there was no notable difference in the perceptions of EFL teachers in terms of their teaching context. The findings might have a couple of implications: First, classroom assessment fairness seems to be both an established concept in Iranian EFL contexts, and of the EFL teachers’ concern. Second, teaching contexts seem not to affect the EFL teachers’ conceptions of what constitutes a fair classroom assessment practice.

The Impact of Game-Based Learning (GBL) on EFL Learners’ Buoyancy, Directed Motivational Currents (DMCS), and Language Learning

The teaching approach of game-based learning emphasizes the creation, improvement, and use of games for educational purposes and training to achieve specific learning goals. A quasi-experimental research study using quantitative methods was conducted to investigate the impact of Game-Based Learning on the academic resilience, Directed Motivational Currents, and language learning of English as Foreign Language (EFL) Learners. The study involved 30 pre-intermediate students from two classes at the Iran-Europe Language Institute in Tehran, with one class assigned to the experimental group and the other to the control group. To provide a baseline for comparison, the experimental group participated in game-based learning, while the control group received traditional education devoid of any game-based activities. In effect, the experimental group engaged in digital and non-digital games related to vocabulary, grammar, and other language components alongside with some real-time quizzes, whereas the control group adhered to traditional teaching procedure in instruction, revision, and mainstream quizzes, in a non-gamified context. Data were collected using the L2 Buoyancy Questionnaire and the Persian version of the Dynamic online DMC Disposition Questionnaire. Results indicated statistically significant improvements in the experimental group`s academic buoyancy, DMC, and language proficiency with effect sizes of 1.96, 0.71.272, and 0.585 respectively, compared to the control group. Derived from these findings, teachers are recommended to integrate game-based learning by incorporating interactive language tasks such as digital simulation or vocabulary games into their lesson plans, helping the students engage more with the material effectively. Furthermore, educational institutions and administrators can elevate students' knowledge quality by incorporating game-based instruction into curricula, by providing structured gamified tasks aligned with curriculum objectives to make learning more effective and engaging.

The Influence of Mix Freeze Group Strategy and Motivation Toward English Foreign Language Students’ Reading Comprehension Ability

This research was aimed at knowing the students’ reading comprehension ability who were taught through mix freeze group strategy and conventional teaching; the reading comprehension of high motivated students who were taught through mix freeze group strategy and conventional teaching; the reading comprehension of low motivated students who were taught through mix freeze group strategy and conventional teaching; the interaction between both model of teaching and motivation toward students’ reading comprehensioan ability. This reserch was a quasi-experimental research by factorial 2x2 design. The data were collected by using test and questionnaire. Based on the research findings and data analysis, it can be concluded that: 1). Students’ reading comprehension ability who are taught through mix freeze groups strategy are better than those of conventional teaching. 2). High motivated students’ reading comprehension ability who are taught through mix freeze groups strategy are better than those of conventional teaching. 3). Low motivated students’ reading comprehension ability who are taught through mix freeze groups strategy are better than those of conventional teaching. 4) There is no interaction between mix freeze groups strategy and conventional teaching and motivation toward students’ reading comprehension ability. It means that mix freeze groups strategy and conventional teaching can be used without considering students’ pre-requisite motivation. The data shows that mix freeze groups strategy is more effective than conventional teaching. It could be concluded that students’ reading comprehension ability is not affected by motivation but mix freeze groups strategy.

Critical Pedagogy in Higher Education: EFL Teachers' Perceptions and Classroom Applications

Critical Pedagogy (CP) is a radical approach in education that transforms English as Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms into a discursive, interactive, and dialogic platform for raising students' voices. The practice of CP in the classroom helps teachers to patronize their students’ oppressive voices. This study explored the perceptions and practices of critical pedagogy among higher-level EFL teachers. This is a qualitative study. It comprises a small sample; representing each university-level EFL teacher from different five colleges in Dhading district in Nepal. We used semi-structured interviews to collect information. The findings indicate that EFL teachers teaching at higher levels in Nepal are aware of students' voices. They are practicing CP in their classrooms although they do not sound principally knowledgeable on CP. The practices of CP have fostered classroom environments supportive of hearing students' suppressive voices. The teachers exhibited a positive stance on the importance of students' voices within the classroom, actively listening to students’ interactions and encouraging their critical involvement in classroom dialogues. More broadly, classroom attentions by teachers to individual students are required to better practice CP.

Teachers' Perspectives on Assessing English Speaking Skills: A Post-New Exam Model Investigation

This study investigates the secondary school English as Foreign Language (EFL) teachers' perspectives on assessing English speaking skills after the new regulations introduced in the 2023-2024 academic year by the Turkish Ministry of National Education (MoNE). With the new regulations, students started to take English speaking exams for the first time in secondary schools in Türkiye. The focus of the study is on EFL teachers' perspectives, feelings, experiences, and thoughts regarding pre-, during, and post-exam situations in this adaptation process. In this qualitative study, data was gathered from 11 teachers via one-on-one semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions. The thematic analysis revealed that EFL teachers find the speaking exams significant, necessary, and useful. Teachers reported that they had become more motivated about speaking activities and using English in the lessons after the regulations. While teachers generally expressed positive sentiments regarding the introduction of speaking exams in secondary schools and the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues during the adaptation process, they also reported experiencing negative emotions, including feelings of unpreparedness, stress, burnout, fatigue, and hopelessness, largely due to the abrupt timing of the change. Challenges such as difficulties in adaptation, ineffective exams, increased teacher workloads, impractical grading processes within the e-school system, and teachers' demanding schedules were also reported. For the future of speaking exams, teachers believe that these exams will/should continue but need to be improved. The findings of this study can serve as a valuable resource for English testing and evaluation, curriculum development, educational planning and programming, material development, in-service teacher training, and the preparation of pre-service EFL teachers, particularly in relation to speaking exams in secondary schools

Unlocking Multilingual Potential: Systemic Functional Linguistics Strategies for Effective Descriptive Writing Instruction

The use of the Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) approach as an instructional tool has been implemented to help English Foreign Language (EFL) students acquire and analyze common disciplinary discourses. However, many teacher preparation programs have not adequately integrated an SFL-guided curriculum to meet the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students. International assessment frameworks like ACTFL and CEFR lack distinctive features that emphasize the functional and linguistic characteristics of spoken and written genres necessary for students to acquire competencies at various levels. This article reviews how the researcher used SFL to teach descriptive writing about hometowns to EFL students. The study highlights the potential benefits of incorporating SFL into foreign English teachers' curricula, using the Expanded Teaching Learning Cycle (ETLC) for teaching, data collection, and analysis. The researcher examined descriptive texts from three EFL students categorized by academic performance. The students showed different levels of progress in composing descriptive texts that accurately reflected genre phases and register characteristics.

Trend Issue of Using Technology in English Foreign Language Teaching Context

This paper aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how the use of technology has changed and influenced the way language is learned, and the integration of technology, specifically AI-powered tools like Deep-L QuillBot and Grammarly, impacted foreign language teaching and learning. This study through narrative reviews, researchers can combine several viewpoints and utilize the distinct perspectives of the review team, which will influence the analysis. The integration of artificial intelligence-based technologies such as Deep-L, Grammarly, and QuillBot has proven to be instrumental in enhancing foreign language learning, particularly in improving students'' writing skills. Studies show a trend in recent years of using AI tools Deep-L, Grammarly and QuillBot of measurable improvements in language skills, such as better understanding of sentence structure and reduced grammatical errors.

Urgent, but How? Developing English Foreign Language Teachers' Digital Literacy in a Professional Learning Community Focusing on Large Language Models

ABSTRACTWith the advent of chatGPT, burgeoning research have been conducted to explore AI technologies' impact on the EFL teaching and learning. However, little is known about how language teachers navigate the shifting education landscape and develop the digital literacy in the AI era. This preliminary qualitative study aims to investigate the processes of how 9 Chinese EFL teachers in a university‐based professional learning community improve their digital literacy, and reveal the factors influencing their digital literacy improvement. To achieve the research objectives, triangle data have been collected including the community meeting records, interviews of participants, class observations, and the participants' reflective journals. In the data analysis section, thematic analysis method has been employed. The findings indicate three distinct types of digital literacy improving processes for the novice teachers, the veteran teachers, and the lead teachers in the heterogeneous and interactive community. Meanwhile, these processes were influenced by the community factors such as artefacts, mediated activities, and social interactions, and the individual factors such as years of teaching experience, teaching subjects, teachers' belief about AI, teachers' theoretical base and research experience. Accordingly, implications are presented to EFL teachers, teacher educators and administrators.

Formation of Ethical Competences for AI Use in English Foreign Language Teachings

Formation of Ethical Competences for AI Use in English Foreign Language Teachings

English Proficiency of Japanese Third-Age Learners in the English Foreign Language Program: An Explanatory-Sequential Inquiry

English Proficiency of Japanese Third-Age Learners in the English Foreign Language Program: An Explanatory-Sequential Inquiry

Prinsip Kesantunan Berbahasa Dosen dan Mahasiswa di Kelas Pembelajaran Bahasa Inggris sebagai Bahasa Asing (EFL)

This investigation examines the implementation of linguistic politeness in English as Foreign Language (EFL) instruction in Karawang, with particular emphasis on faculty-student interactions. Utilizing an ethnographic qualitative methodology, the research encompasses one faculty member and thirty-five, first-semester students. Data acquisition was conducted through non-participant classroom observations and semi-structured in-depth interviews. The findings demonstrate that the faculty member systematically implemented politeness strategies through indirect communication and face-threatening acts management. The incorporation of Sundanese cultural values in instruction was manifested in the utilization of address systems and modifications in communication approaches. The implementation of politeness significantly contributed to the enhancement of students' communicative competence and the establishment of a conducive learning environment. This research underscores the significance of integrating linguistic politeness and indigenous cultural values in EFL instruction to facilitate pedagogical effectiveness.