English Learning Research Articles

Exploring the development and trends of English medium instruction (EMI) research: a scientometric analysis

ABSTRACT This scientometric analysis examines 688 research publications on English medium instruction (EMI) from 2003 to 2022, sourced from the Web of Science database. This investigation employs growth trend analysis, discipline analysis, co-authorship analysis, document co-citation cluster analysis, and document co-citation burstness analysis to unravel the overall state, cooperation network, and foundational and emerging trends of the research themes. Three growth phases are identified: limited interest (2003–2013), fluctuating development (2014–2017), and rapid growth (2018–2022). The fields of education and linguistics dominate the disciplinary landscape. Six research clusters are identified from the analysis, encompassing the following topics: (1) English learning affordance, (2) policy, realities, and challenges, (3) language support, (4) stakeholders’ perspectives, (5) academic success, and (6) global Englishes. Citation bursts indicate emerging trends, including global English integration, multilingualism advocacy, and innovative language assessment. Geographically, international research collaboration is encouraged, while temporally, the maturation and evolution of each EMI research specialty (cluster) is observed. In conclusion, future research on EMI should adopt a multidisciplinary approach, provide nuanced language support, conduct continuous policy analysis, and comprehensively investigate academic and stakeholder success.

TikTok Videos as a Catalyst for Vocabulary Acquisition in Tertiary Education

This study investigates the potential of TikTok as an educational tool for vocabulary acquisition among university students in Malaysia. As social media platforms continue to influence various aspects of daily life, their role in education, particularly in language learning, warrants closer examination. Through a mixed-methods approach, this research evaluates the effectiveness of TikTok videos in expanding the vocabulary repertoire of students at a public Malaysian university. The study builds upon previous research, including Simanungkalit and Katemba’s (2023) work on university students’ perspectives of TikTok for English vocabulary learning, and Abdullah et al.’s (2023) investigation into TikTok’s acceptance as an English learning tool. Results indicate that TikTok can serve as an engaging and effective platform for vocabulary development, with a significant portion of students reporting improved retention of new English words. The findings suggest that integrating TikTok into formal language education could enhance learning outcomes and provide students with additional, accessible means of language acquisition. This research contributes to the growing body of literature on social media in education and offers practical implications for educators seeking to leverage digital platforms in language instruction.

The impact of collocational proficiency features on expert ratings of L2 English learners’ writing

Abstract Lexical proficiency is a multifaceted phenomenon that greatly impacts human judgments of writing quality. However, the importance of collocations’ contribution to proficiency assessment has received less attention than that of single words, despite collocations’ essential role in language production. This study, therefore, investigated how aspects of collocational proficiency affect the ratings that examiners give to English learner essays. To do so, collocational features related to sophistication and accuracy were manipulated in a set of argumentative essays. Examiners then rated the texts and provided rationales for their choices. The findings revealed that the use of lower-frequency words significantly and positively impacted the experts’ ratings. When used as part of collocations, such words then provided a small yet significant additional boost to ratings. Notably, there was no significant effect for increased collocational accuracy. These findings suggest that low-frequency words within collocations are particularly salient to examiners and deserving of pedagogic focus.

The Link Between Perception and Production in the Laryngeal Processes of Multilingual Speakers

The present paper investigates the link between perception and production in the laryngeal phonology of multilingual speakers, focusing on non-contrastive segments and the dynamic aspect of these processes. Fourteen L1 Hungarian, L2 English, and L3 Spanish advanced learners took part in the experiments. The production experiments examined the aspiration of voiceless stops in word-initial position, regressive voicing assimilation, and pre-sonorant voicing; the latter two processes were analyzed both word-internally and across word boundaries. The perception experiments aimed to find out whether learners notice the phonetic outputs of these processes and regard them as linguistically relevant. Our results showed that perception and production are not aligned. Accurate production is dependent on accurate perception, but accurate perception is not necessarily transferred into production. In laryngeal postlexical processes, the native language seems to play the primary role even for highly competent learners, but markedness might be relevant too. The novel findings of this study are that phonetic category formation seems to be easier than the acquisition of dynamic allophonic alternations and that metaphonological awareness is correlated with perception but not with production.

The Acquisition of Count-mass Distinction of English Flexible Nouns by Chinese-Speaking Learners of English

In recent years, count-mass distinction has attracted increasing attention from both domestic and overseas researchers. This study investigated the acquisition of English count-mass distinction by Chinese-speaking learners of English, focusing on flexible nouns (e.g., stone/stones, cake/cakes). A Quantity Judgment Task (QJT) was utilized in which learners judged the one with a greater number of entities as more than the one with greater volume or vice versa.Results showed that Chinese college English learners correctly based judgments on number (e.g., judging three small apples as more than one big apple, or three small glasses of juice as more than one big glass of juice) for count nouns and object-mass nouns and on volume (e.g., judging one big apple as more than three small apples, or one big glass of juice as more than three small glasses of juice) for substance-mass nouns. In terms of nouns that can either be count or mass (flexible nouns, e.g., stone/stones), learners had difficulty using count-mass cues to disambiguate the meanings.

Do achievement emotions underlie L2 engagement? a mixed-methods multinational study on the role of achievement emotions in multilingual English learners’ behavioral, cognitive, and emotional engagement

ABSTRACT This mixed-methods multinational study examined how achievement emotions predict the cognitive, behavioural, and emotional engagement of multilingual learners within Chinese, Iranian, and Kuwaiti L2 classrooms. The study also assessed the potential association between participants’ achievement emotions and their L2 engagement levels. Additionally, this research focused on the participants’ subjective perceptions concerning the role of negative and positive achievement emotions in shaping multilingual learners’ L2 engagement. In doing so, a total of 1509 multilingual English learners were purposefully recruited from various educational institutions in China, Iran, and Kuwait. Following that, the quantitative and qualitative data were gleaned via two validated scales and a semi-structured interview, respectively. Correlational analyses uncovered significant associations between achievement emotions and the L2 engagement components. Regression analyses further highlighted the strong role of achievement emotions in predicting multilingual learners’ L2 engagement. Surprisingly, measurement invariance testing indicated no significant differences among Chinese, Iranian, and Kuwaiti regression models regarding the predictive power of achievement emotions. Additionally, the findings derived from content analysis illuminated that participants viewed achievement emotions as key factors affecting learners’ L2 engagement. The outcomes of this inquiry offer valuable insights for language teachers, policymakers, and curriculum designers aiming to promote multilingual learners’ engagement in L2 classrooms.

Development of social robots to become “We” with humans

Traditional robot-human interactions involve robots following human instructions, ie. ‘I-mode’. But there is an alternative mode, called ‘we-mode’ in which robots and humans collaborate. In order to collaborate with humans, working towards a shared goal, a robot needs to be socially aware, requiring the ability to process and respond to human cues. Assistant Professor Kotaro Hayashi, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology, Aichi, Japan, is conducting research that seeks to advance progress towards the goal of humans and robots entering into we-mode. There are potential benefits for society, including applications in education and welfare. The focus of Hayashi’s work is on social cues and social contingency. In one project he investigated the dynamics of human-robot interaction through joint tasks via a human-eye robot he designed. He explored how participant’s response times and fixation durations changed when working with robots versus humans and confirmed the ability of robots to effectively participate in shared tasks. In another study he looked at how generative artificial intelligence (AI) impacts English language learning by using ChatGPT to develop a robot for English conversation practice. The goal was to reduce social anxiety experienced by Japanese learners of English. The research showed positive engagement, reduced anxiety and an improvement in conversation skill, which suggested the potential for AI tools to enhance language education.

Enhancing L2 Learners’ Self-Regulated Speaking Through Digital Oral Dialogue Journaling: An EFL Classroom-based Study

Two decades of L2 self-regulated learning (SRL) research has focused heavily on reading and writing, leaving speaking an under-explored area. While speaking is an important yet difficult communicative skill to master that often generates high anxiety for English learners, EFL contexts seldom provide enough practice opportunities beyond the classroom. The study introduces an innovative pedagogy – digital oral dialogue journaling (DODJ) – and investigates its effectiveness in cultivating SRL speaking strategy use in a Hong Kong secondary school. A total of 95 recorded journal videos were created by a class of 19 students and uploaded to the digital platform Flipgrid over five weeks to receive dialogic feedback from the teacher on a weekly basis. Students’ speaking strategy use was conceptualized from a social cognitive SRL framework, and changes were measured using a pre- and post-intervention questionnaire as well as through two semi-structured interviews. Results of repeated measures MANOVA and ANOVA tests reveal significant increases in multiple cognitive and metacognitive strategies such as rehearsing, memorizing, and evaluating. Interview findings further show that certain DODJ design features facilitated the changes, including flexible topic selection and scheduling, unlimited video submission and review, and emoticon masking and dialogic teacher feedback. Pedagogical suggestions are offered on how to design effective DODJ practice to cultivate L2 learners to become strategic, self-regulated speakers.

The Application of Knowledge Graph in the Curriculum Construction of College English Course

In the era of rapid information technology development, curriculum construction in education faces new challenges and opportunities. Knowledge graph, a sophisticated semantic network, can effectively integrate and present knowledge in a highly structured manner, which offers a new perspective to teaching reform and curriculum construction. Applying knowledge graph to curriculum construction caters to the need for systematic knowledge integration and requirements of personalized learning, and provides convenient means for dynamic curriculum content update. However,The knowledge graph of the College English course (General English course) also has its own characteristics. Taking the course “College English 1” in the author’s university as an example, it demonstrates the design case of the knowledge graph construction, like multi-module integrated design, association of listening, speaking, reading, writing, and translation skills, incorporation of cultural background. The case also covers the relevance of the knowledge points, managing and operational details of the knowledge graph. Applying knowledge graph to English curriculum construction is beneficial for English learning and teaching, but it is still in the exploratory stage and has some limitations, so it’s necessary to fully explore its potential in future.

Correlation between English Major Learners’ Listening Comprehension Difficulties and their Use of Metacognitive Strategies of Listening during Online Listening Comprehension Courses

This paper attempted to investigate the relationship between English major learners’ use of metacognitive strategies of listening to overcome the difficulties they face while learning listening skills at Al-Balqa Applied University (BAU). The data was collected by administering an online Microsoft Form questionnaire to 168 first-year English major learners. The retrieved questionnaires were 104, with 99 valid for statistical analysis. The questionnaire main themes were the difficulties related to listener, speaker, content, lack of concentration, internet issues, and metacognitive strategies of listening. Data was analyzed using SPSS statistical analysis software (linear regression). The analysis revealed a positive correlation between English major learners’ use of metacognitive strategies of listening when facing listening comprehension difficulties related to all themes. Nevertheless, the evident positive correlation became apparent when learners encountered difficulties associated with a lack of concentration and internet issues. These difficulties were perceived to require the implementation of metacognitive strategies of listening as an effective remedy. This study contributes to the understanding of English major learners’ use of metacognitive strategies of listening during online learning of listening skills. Moreover, it reflects on the English major learners’ awareness of metacognitive strategies of listening and calls for the need to teach these strategies deliberately.

Saudi EFL Students’ Perception towards the Use of Duolingo Application in Learning English

This study aimed to investigate Saudi EFL students’ perceptions of using the Duolingo application as a tool for learning English. Employing a descriptive research design, the study gathered data from 163 student participants through structured questionnaires. The findings revealed that students generally held highly positive perceptions of the application’s features and its role in language learning. Specifically, a significant majority of participants find Duolingo easy to access on mobile devices and laptops (91.8%), and they report that the app’s features are user-friendly and facilitate interaction with other learners (82.3%). Additionally, most participants agree that Duolingo offers convenient, anytime, anywhere access for practicing English (83.7%). Duolingo was found to be highly effective for improving various English skills, with over 85% of participants acknowledging its usefulness for enhancing reading, writing, listening, and speaking abilities. Moreover, it supports vocabulary enrichment (83.7%) and offers opportunities for self-learning outside the classroom. A majority of participants also agreed that Duolingo encourages responsibility for self-learning, enhances motivation, and provides valuable opportunities for cross-cultural exchange and communication with teachers. However, the study also highlighted some challenges, such as the need for reliable devices and strong Wi-Fi connections, with 67.4% of participants recognizing that Duolingo requires specific electronic devices and skills. Additionally, some participants (over 30%) felt that Duolingo might be more expensive than traditional learning methods. Despite these challenges, most students found the app engaging and reported feeling motivated to use it for improving their English outside the classroom. Overall, the findings suggest that Duolingo is a beneficial and effective tool for language learning, offering flexibility, accessibility, and enhanced learner motivation, though it requires appropriate technology and internet resources for optimal use.

Systematic Literature Review: 21st-Century English Learning Media Utilizing Augmented Reality

The rapid advancement of technology has significantly impacted education, particularly in the field of language learning. Among the most promising innovations is Augmented Reality (AR), a technology that enhances the real world with digital content, creating immersive and interactive learning experiences. This potential for immersion allows AR to engage students effectively, making it a powerful tool in supporting 21st-century learning skills such as critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication. This systematic literature review aims to analyze the current body of research on AR in English language education, focusing on its ability to enhance language proficiency, retention, and fluency, while also fostering key 21st-century skills. By examining the benefits, challenges, and gaps in the literature, this review provides valuable insights for educators, researchers, and policymakers interested in incorporating AR into language education to improve learning outcomes.

The Scenario of Learning English among Rural Students in Bangladesh: A Study on Students of Kumarkhali, Kushtia

English is an international language. It has been in use in Bangladesh for nearly 200 years. This research aims to investigate the scenario of students learning English in rural areas of Kumarkhali, Kushtia, in Bangladesh. This research also discusses Kuamrkhali Upozila and Kushtia District, as well as educational institutions in Kushtia. As a research method, this study has been conducted by putting together both primary and secondary sources of data. Primary data was collected by Google Forms, and secondary data was formulated from the census, articles, books, and so on. A mix of both quantitative and qualitative methods was used in this study. The research sample size is 150. The findings show that most of the students can't access an English tutor. Large students agree that schools don’t provide additional resources for learning English (e.g., books, audio-visual aids). They also ensure that sometimes teachers use English in the classroom. Due to these challenges, students are unable to achieve good results. This research reveals that out of 150 students, only 10 achieved a score above 80% in English. As a recommendation, this research provides solutions to address the identified problems effectively.

Students’ and Teachers’ Attitudes Towards CLIL in the Interdisciplinary Study Program English in Electrical Engineering and Informatics

This study examines the attitudes of teachers and students towards the implementation of content and language integrated learning (CLIL) in the interdisciplinary study program English in Electrical Engineering and Informatics at Brno University of Technology (BUT). It aims to explore the benefits, challenges, and strategies for CLIL in the linguistics and engineering study program. Two questionnaires were administered to 39 students and 15 technical subject teachers, focusing on their language levels, preferences, and experiences in learning and teaching technical subjects in English. Research results revealed positive perceptions among both groups regarding the development of language skills and subject knowledge, underscoring the importance of English as a lingua franca (ELF) in science and technology, enabling professionals from diverse linguistic backgrounds to collaborate and share findings effectively. Students highlighted the need for flexible instructional approaches to accommodate diverse learning preferences, and teachers emphasized the necessity of meticulous planning and consistent practice. Challenges identified included language barriers for both students and teachers, which can impede effective learning and teaching. The study draws attention to the need for heightened awareness of ELF of science and technology, recommending refined instructional approaches and enhanced support mechanisms to overcome language challenges and optimize CLIL implementation in engineering education.

Effect of Using Digital Media for Language Learning on Reduction of Anxiety and Boost of Proficiency among Immigrating Students: A Case Study

With its constant advancements, technology has altered teaching and learning in certain ways in the modern era. One of the most widely used technology-based teaching strategies that has been overly popular in recent years is the use of digital media in English language training. Yet, anxiety is one of many emotional states that are significantly impacted by the changes in education brought about by the use of digital media and computer-based learning. Particularly, there is a gap in the literature on the level of anxiety among immigrating students planning to study abroad while trying to learn English in an EFL context. To address these, the current study was formulated to explore the effect of using digital media for language learning on reducing anxiety and boosting language proficiency of immigrant students in Iran. To suit the study objectives, a one-group pretest-posttest design was adopted and using a purposive sampling method, 12 male and female students were finally selected. Beck Anxiety Inventory and World English Placement Test were distributed among them in the pretest to determine their anxiety level, and language proficiency, respectively. A teaching protocol of 10 sessions, each lasting 90 minutes was adopted, and at the end of the experiments, the two instruments were distributed to determine the posttest scores of anxiety and language proficiency. The data were collected and transferred to SPSS Version 27 for further statistical analysis and interpretation. The results proved that the participants had sever anxiety level in the pretest, which was reduced to a significantly lower levels after using digital media for language learning. Moreover, it was found that there was a significant difference in the pretest and posttest scores of language proficiency of the immigrating students after using digital media for learning English, showing a significant improvement. Finally, it was found that there was a significant difference in the mean scores of males’ and females’ anxiety in the pretest but after the experiment, although both males and females showed significant reduction in their level of anxiety compared to the pretest, there was not a significant difference in the mean scores of the two groups. Overall, using digital media can assist in enhancing literacy skills among immigrant students in diverse aspects such as digital literacy, resulting in better literacy outcomes and further literacy development.

Instructional Technology and Learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL): Insights Into Digital Literacy From Saudi Environment

This study delves into the utilization of Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) in the context of learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL) among students enrolled at the College of Languages and Translation, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU). Within the academic context, the incorporation of Learning Management Systems (LMSs), such as Blackboard, represents a significant aspect of educational technology aimed at enhancing the integrated teaching and learning process. This study employs a mixed-methods, descriptive-explanatory design, using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. It collected, analyzed, and systematized data from 310 students, who represented various levels of English proficiency, drawn from a total population of 598 students. The study provided valuable insights into the capabilities and advantages of using LMSs as teaching aids in EFL education. Additionally, it offered recommendations for optimizing the use of these pedagogical tools, based on current research and practical suggestions from the students. This research also highlights several avenues for future investigation in the field of EFL instruction and educational technology.

Enhancing English Learning Through Digital Storytelling in Indian Schools

This study examines the effectiveness of the Digital Storytelling (DST) teaching approach in improving English learning among ninth graders in four schools in Bengaluru, India. Using a sequential mixed-methods design, the quantitative phase included a non-randomized, post-test-only quasi-experimental design with 200 students divided into a DST-based experimental group and a traditional control group of 100 students each. Quantitative data were collected using a 12-item survey questionnaire, while qualitative data included self-reflection logs from 100 and interviews with 20 students from the experimental group. The results show that DST significantly improves language development and student satisfaction. This is evidenced by higher and more consistent post-test scores in the experimental group, with statistical significance confirmed by the Wilcoxon test. Increased engagement, understanding, and motivation reported by students are consistent with the quantitative improvements.

Filipino Language Learners’ Micro-macro Level Responses to Compliments

This study sought to investigate various implications of compliments to responses among Filipino students of Negros Oriental State University, Dumaguete City. Particularly, this study examined compliment responses of NORSU college learners of English as a second language using the critical lens of Holmes (1986) model of compliment responses (CR). The research instrument used in this study is the adapted Discourse Completion Task (DCT) based on the three macro and micro-levels of accept, reject, and evade of designed by Tang and Zhang’s (2009). The DCT is composed of four situational topics to elicit compliments: appearance, character, ability, and possession. Descriptive statistics was performed in this study in analyzing the data elicited from the DCT questionnaire. Using a quantitative content analysis to investigate compliment-response discourses, data analysis showed that majority of the compliment responses of accept rather than reject or evade were predominantly recorded. More interestingly, the study further revealed that there was a large number of combination/modification occurred in the data, and therefore, was added as a new category in the current study. This multitude of data about the students accepting compliments and then underplaying its effect shows a strong indication of the Filipino students’ idiosyncratic way of responding to compliments

The curriculum of English language teacher education in expanding circles: English teachers with the best teaching skills or the ones who are best English proficient?

Countries classified as expanding circles have endless worries about the qualities of Teacher Education products. This happened because such expanding circles can never give enough room for English learners to have real-life practices since English is not the lingua franca. Similarly, in Indonesia, the issue of highlighting the qualities of the products of Teacher Education has become an endless problem that never leaves a satisfactory solution. This issue might become a blip in a situation where a new curriculum will be implemented soon. Attempts have been made to increase qualified products of teacher education in Indonesia for years, yet the results are not better than expected. Six domains of content (i.e. theories of teaching, teaching skills, communication skills, subject matter knowledge, pedagogical reasoning and decision making, and context knowledge) presumably might have been used by Indonesian teacher education as the core knowledge base of Second Language Teacher Education (SLTE); however, since Indonesia has various geographical areas which implies various contexts of SLTE, these six domains of content might not be differently adopted in all parts of Indonesia. Highlighting how important all six content domains in the development of Indonesian SLTE are presumably led to how much attention should be paid to each domain. Reviewing these six domains of content, specifically, this article intends to analyze how those domains are synchronized in composing the core content of the English Department curriculum in teacher education. Are they all equally important?

Error patterns in student translations: A study of grammatical issues in higher education

The importance of learning English has grown significantly in response to its role as a global means of communication. Mastery of English, particularly its grammatical aspects, is essential for effective communication and is often developed through formal education, such as university programs. This study examines the grammatical competence of undergraduate English Literature students during the 2022/2023 academic year, as reflected in their translation texts. The study analysed 11 translation texts selected from the population using Corder’s superficial basis error classification framework, encompassing four types of errors: omission, addition, selection, and ordering. The classified data were further analysed using general English grammar theories. The findings reveal significant grammatical errors in the students' translations: 49 errors of omission (48%), 7 errors of addition (7%), 40 errors of selection (30%), and 5 errors of ordering (5%). These results highlight specific areas of grammatical difficulty faced by students, offering insights into the need for targeted instructional strategies to improve their grammatical proficiency. This research underscores the importance of error analysis in enhancing the quality of English language education in higher learning institutions.