English As Foreign Language Classes Research Articles

Are enjoyment, anxiety and attitudes/motivation different in English foreign language classes compared to LOTE classes?

The current study focuses on the effect of the target language on learner emotions and attitudes/motivation. More specifically, it investigates whether the status and prestige of English results in more positive learner emotions and attitudes/motivation compared to less prestigious languages other than English (LOTE). Statistical analyses of a database of 360 students in an English-speaking university in Kuwait enrolled in English, German, Spanish and French as foreign language classes revealed that the LOTE learners (who also knew English) reported significantly more foreign language enjoyment (FLE), equal levels of foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA) and – surprisingly – lower levels of attitudes/motivation than their peers studying English. Due to confounding variables, it is impossible to establish the cause of the difference with certainty, but this outcome does show that a stronger motivation to study English does not necessarily translate into more enjoyment in class. In other words, while FLE and attitudes/motivation typically correlate, they are independent concepts.

An Analysis of Students’ Difficulties In Listening Comprehension at English Education Department in Faculty of Teacher Training And Education of Universitas Ekasakti

Listening is part of the English language skills component which is quite complex in EFL (English as Foreign Language) learning practices. Difficulties in this skill is experienced by students in the Indonesian context consisting of various ethnicities, languages and cultures. Listening skill would enable people to improve their ability in communication. However, in some cases of EFL classes, college students still find difficulties in learning this skill since it needs more attentions and concentrations in order to comprehend the language materials. This study tries to discover the listening difficulties encountered by English Education Department students of faculty of teacher training and education in Universitas Ekasakti while taking the listening courses. The design of this research was descriptive research with population were the second-year students who have taken the Listening comprehension. They were 17 members . The researcher used total sampling technique to take the sample so all population was sample. The instrument used was listening comprehension test. The results of the study showed that there are four main categories of students’ difficulties in listening, namely: difficulties related to the learning materials (unfamiliar topics, topic that doesn’t exist in students’ cultures, too many unfamiliar words, and the length of the spoken texts); difficulties related to the speakers (unclear pronunciation, varieties of accents, and the speed of speaking); difficulties related to the listeners (inferring the meanings of unknown words, losing concentration, memory, and the length of the questions); and difficulties related to the physical settings (noises around, the online learning media used, and the internet connection).

The Effective Use of Online Resources in Improving Students’ English Grammar Skills in the EFL Classes at the Tertiary Level

The research objective of this study was to explore the effectiveness of online resources in teaching English grammar skills to English as foreign language (EFL) students at the tertiary level. The aim was to assist EFL teachers in maximising the efficiency of their English grammar lessons through the use of online resources. The sample for the study constituted of 250 first-year English Programme students. Present simple and past simple were selected as testing items. Data were collected using students’ entry-level test scores prior to the intervention and exit-level test scores after intensive training and practise using various online resources. An important variance was identified between the results of the entry-level and exit-level tests. Also, the participants’ perceptions about the effectiveness of online resources in the language learning process were analysed using a quantitative method. The outcomes confirmed that a vast majority of the participants were in favour of integrating online resources. This research also provides valuable suggestions and potential implications for the current study.

مراجعة الأدبيات في تعزيز تدريس اللغة الإنجليزية كلغة أجنبية باستخدام الأنشطة الرقمية

Information Communication Technology (ICT) plays a crucial role in society's daily life, whether in developed or developing nations. Information technology is generally used for everyday entertainment and communications and for improving education and supporting it. Following a systematic literature review, this paper aims to assess students' language skills developed by applying digital activities in classes of English as Foreign Language (EFL). This review analyzes online activities, perceived usefulness, and foreign language skills by highlighting the challenges and advantages of digital activities in EFL classes. Furthermore, the paper highlights the perceived benefits of these activities and the ability to use various digital applications and devices functions to have more substantial outcomes while teaching and learning English. Finally, the paper also generates implications for the educational systems by identifying the roles of English teachers in promoting learning strategies through the use of technology and improving their abilities in utilizing technology in their classes.

Incorporating role-play as an innovative approach to fostering English Foreign Language students’ creativity and critical thinking

Communicative activities introduce learners to real-life situations that require speaking in the target language. As a didactic strategy, role-play is assumed to be an effective method of learning and developing social skills, creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication using simulated scenarios. In the present investigation, role-playing is used in an educational setting specifically in English foreign language classes. This research paper sheds light on the importance of including innovative approaches when teaching; moreover, it investigates the impact of role-plays in developing speaking qualifications, social knowledge, and personal skills. The sample comprised 35 EFL students at the University of Ain Temouchent, Algeria. To guarantee research validity and reliability, a mixed methods approach was applied to collect and analyze data. The findings demonstrate that students could increase their speaking qualifications and overcome speaking difficulties and using role-plays can develop students’ creativity and critical thinking by engaging them in real-life situations. Keywords: Communicative skills; creativity; critical thinking; role-plays; speaking qualifications.

Interactional Techniques Used in Class Opening and Closing in EFL Classes

The present article attempts to investigate the interactional techniques employed by the basic level teachers to begin and end English language classes. For this purpose, 15 English as Foreign Language (EFL) teachers who have been teaching English at basic level in Banke district were purposively selected as the participants of the study. The data was collected employing an observational technique. Each of the observed classes was audio recorded and then transcribed. The transcribed data was analyzed based on thematic technique of qualitative data analysis. The findings showed that teachers engaged in several interactional micro actions that were included in the class starting and ending moves. A variety of interactional techniques including greeting students, calling names, checking the assigned homework and phatic communion were found to be used by the teachers to begin the classes. Similarly, interactional techniques such as assigning homework and describing the upcoming lessons were found to be the most common sub-moves used to close the lesson.

THE IMPACT OF HYBRID ELT ON EFL TEACHERS AND STUDENTS AT SECONDARY SCHOOLS DURING THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC

The COVID-19 pandemic outbreak contrived change in various sectors, forcing the education sector to adjust and modify the daily conduct of teaching and learning in schools. This research highlights modifications done by schools as they have applied Hybrid Learning (HL) as an adjustment in the learning-teaching process. This study asked EFL Teachers and Students from thirty different schools in Surabaya and Sidoarjo in English Foreign Language (EFL) classes to complete the survey about how Hybrid Learning is implemented in their classes. This research analyzed the responses by using the descriptive design. Teachers' and students' responses about the changes in teaching instruments they used, school facilities to support their classes, period of adjustments, and their preference to choose either HL EFL to compare to conventional EFL class is collected through a survey. Their result shows that 1) Adjustments require a short period for students and teachers. 2) School facilities to support EFL HL classes. The study implies that conducting HL in emergencies requires adjustments. Thus, sufficient preparation from authorities is needed.Â

ICT Integration in English Foreign Language Class: Teacher's Voice in Perceptions and Barriers

This study investigates how primary English teachers integrate ICT into their English class practices in primary school settings. It specifically describes the primary English teachers in integrating ICT into their online classes and the teacher's perception of the function and challenge of integrating ICT in English language teaching. Three English teachers teaching at primary school were recruited as the participants in this study. Framed within a qualitative descriptive study, the researcher collected the data by observing and interviewing the teachers. In doing observation, the researcher used the instruments, such as video records and notes; for interviewing steps, the researcher used audio recordings. The data were analyzed using an interactive analysis model by following steps, namely transcribing, classifying, describing, and interpreting the data. This study concludes that integrating ICT into the teaching and learning process with clear instructional plans has advantages that help students in learning effectively. ICT still has challenges for teachers, like the poor state of the internet and the lack of school and home facilities. It is recommended for schools, teachers, and students be better prepared to use ICT by providing adequate internet connections and providing training to teachers or students.

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.

Distance Learning During Covid-19 Pandemic: Students’ Engagement in English Foreign Language Class

Purpose - This study aims to explore students’ behaviour, emotional, and cognitive engagement in EFL class during Covid-19 pandemic. 
 Design/methodology/approach - A qualitative approach with class observation, interview, and questionnaire was undertaken to examine the students’ engagement. Teachers and student of two public junior senior high schools in Jakarta, Indonesia involved voluntarily to this study. 5 teachers’ (1 man and 4 women) classes were observed and they were interviewed. 467 (187 male and 280 female) students were administered the questionnaire and 9 of them were interviewed.
 Findings - The result suggested that the students were disengaged behaviourally, emotionally, and cognitively in English class during distance learning. It occurred due to some factors such as uninteresting learning activities, unstable signal, and lack of students’ understanding. The study provides practical implications for English language teachers. They need to construct the interesting and various learning activities and effective strategies to gain their students’ engagement.
 Originality/value - Abundance of literatures investigated teaching and learning practices during Covid-19. However, a few studies examined students’ engagement in distance learning. Thus, this study concerned on students’ engagement in EFL class for junior high school level.
 Paper type – Research paper

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) IN ENGLISH FOREIGN LANGUAGE (EFL) TEACHING

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) useful to support English Language Teaching (ELT) for foreign language. However, this world particularly needs human resources who mastering English material and modern technology. The objective of this paper was to examine the utilization of ICT while conduct autonomous learning also to ensure teachers' abilities in the implementation of social media technology to support English Foreign Language (EFL) teaching classes. The survey used with collecting data from several young teachers by descriptive-qualitative method. Data showed four from six respondents already known ICT as well, automatically those five young teachers have appropriate ELT tools by various social media. Basically, teachers understand how important student-centered to be conducted particularly in EFL classes. In contrast, it was not balanced with the idea to develop ICT while designing interactive modern learning classes. Then, one case was found in the previous survey to be precise with high school teachers. Senior teachers just utilize one or two ICT tools in the ELT classes. The limitation of tools could make the output and outcome of the learning process is not optimal. Furthermore, this paper shows the importance of ICT integration tools and ELT which should be mastered by teachers in 4.0 era.

An Analysis of Students’ Questioning Skill in English Foreign Language Class

This Research aimed to know the level of questions used by students and to know the student’s factors to ask questions in classroom at sixth semesters at Madako University. This research employed descriptive qualitative research. The samples of the research were five students at class A which were selected purposively. The techniques for collecting data used observation checklist, interview, and documentation. The obtained data were percentage and analyzed based on interactive model of Miles & Huberman, some steps among data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The result of the observation showed that C1 (remembering) (13.3%), C2 (understanding) (26.6%), (analyzing) (33.4%), and (evaluating) (26.7%), while analyzing was a level the most frequently used by the students. The result of interview there were two factors namely: internal and external in internal factor the researcher found that Interest and motives of student curiosity. In external factor that the researcher found lecturer’s factor (motivation of the lecturer) and environmental’s factor. Therefore, the researcher conclude that the student at sixth semester at Madako University have the skill of questions in level medium because most of them only used questions analysis, and they have two factors to ask question, they are internal and external factors.

A Conceptual Review of Teacher Enthusiasm and Students' Success and Engagement in Chinese EFL Classes.

The swift growth and progress of colleges and universities across China noticed a request for teaching and learning English as Foreign Language (EFL), and regarding the quality of higher education, student engagement has been at the center of attention which has a remarkable role due to the arrival of positive psychology in language learning recently. To this end, on the one hand, nurturing student engagement in EFL classes corresponds to requests from the recent national university English curriculum selected in 2015 in China. On the other hand, a bulk of studies has acknowledged difficulties that hinder the construction of a learner-centric learning situation. Moreover, there is a dearth of inquires which have focused on teachers' role in general and affective aspects namely enthusiasm, in particular. According to the literature review, the definition of these constructs, namely teacher enthusiasm and students' success and engagement are presented. In a nutshell, the implications for teachers, university administrators, teacher-trainers, and future researchers are presented, and new directions for future research are allocated.

The Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on EFL Classes through the Lenses of Secondary Learners

With Corona Virus Disease 2019 (Covid-19), a major change to the remote education arrangements has arisen. As it is clear, the pandemic has got side effects, especially in the scope of education and English as foreign language (EFL) teaching. Students at all levels were encouraged to continue learning despite the difficulties they had throughout the crisis. This study aims to investigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the field of EFL, particularly by revealing the viewpoints of secondary school students on pandemic remote education and its impact on their English language learning process. Thus, it was designed as qualitative research; interviews were held to probe indepth into their perceptions on EFL teaching throughout pandemic remote education. Interviews were conducted with thirty secondary school students chosen voluntarily. The participants were chosen from different schools. The data obtained from the interviews were analysed through qualitative content analysis by NVivo 8 software program. The results revealed that participants declared that most of the teachers used course books and gave pencil-paper assignments. It was also highlighted that teachers emphasised reading and listening skills in their lessons rather than writing and speaking. Another significant finding of the study is that the participants preferred face-to-face foreign language teaching to remote teaching. Nevertheless, they admitted that online language teaching has several advantages comparing to traditional face-to-face education besides its challenges such as technical, economic, contextual, and individual problems. Lastly, several noteworthy suggestions were made regarding teachers, policymakers, families, and students themselves.

Learner Motivation and Engagement in Virtual EFL Classes at the Tertiary Level in Bangladesh during the Pandemic

In the face of the ongoing pandemic crisis in the country, the tertiary level education context of Bangladesh has predominantly resorted to online and distance learning modules. While such virtual English as Foreign Language (EFL) classes have undoubtedly played a pivotal role to ensure continuation of tertiary level teaching and learning even amidst the closure of educational institutions in the country, however, some contemporary research and news in this regard have reported on tertiary level learners’ dissatisfaction and reduced performances in such EFL classes. As such, to assess the learners’ perceived motivation and engagement in virtual EFL classes, the current research uses a mixed method approach. Here, the researcher uses questionnaire survey, interview and FGD guidelines, constructed based on Vroom’s expectancy theory of motivation and instruments to assess attitude orientation, to collect data from both the “target” group, i.e. the learners, and the “resource” group, i.e. the teachers and the parents, from 5 tertiary level institutes of the country. Here, the data highlights negative attitude and reduced motivation orientation of the learners towards certain aspects in online EFL classes. The findings also manifest some imperial causal factors, which leads to reduced motivation and engagement of learners in such online modules. It unravels how online education has exacerbated the digital divide among the learners amidst the pandemic crisis. Moreover, the study also presents some pedagogic participant-centric suggestions to promote motivation and engagement of the learners in online EFL classes in a developing country context like Bangladesh.

Improving Classroom Interaction in Reading Classes for Students at Hanoi University of Home Affairs: An Action Research

Classroom interaction is obviously of crucial significance to English language teaching and learning. Many language teachers and researchers have made great efforts to find out ways to create interactive classroom environment that involve both teachers and learners’ contributions during the whole process of teaching and learning. The study was conducted to explore classroom interaction in an English foreign language class. Questionnaire and classroom observation were used for data collecting. The results showed that the students participated more actively in reading lessons. Moreover, they developed a positive attitude towards classroom interaction and classroom interaction strategies. The findings demonstrated that increasing students’ motivation, designing interactive reading tasks, and applying appropriate techniques for classroom interaction facilitated and improved classroom interaction.

The Implementation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in English Foreign Language (EFL) Teaching

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) useful to support English Language Teaching (ELT) for foreign language. In addition, this day is the globalization era and the English language is the global language. Then, this world particularly needs human resources who mastering English material and modern technology. The objective of the paper was to examine the utilization of ICT while conduct autonomous learning also to ensure teachers' abilities in the implementation of social media technology to support English Foreign Language (EFL) teaching classes. The survey used with collecting the data from several young teachers by the descriptive-qualitative method. The data showed four from six respondents already known ICT as well, automatically those five young teachers have the appropriate ELT tools by various social media. On the other hand, not many ideas are found in the comprehension of conducting autonomous learning. Basically, the teachers understand how important student-centered to conduct particularly in EFL classes. In contrast, it was not balanced with the idea to develop ICT in designing interactive modern learning classes. This matter similar to the case of senior teachers who have no enough knowledge about the global technology development rate. This case was found in the previous survey to be precise with the teacher in high school. The senior teacher just utilizes one or two ICT tools in the ELT classes. The limitation of tools could make the output and outcome of the learning process is not optimal. Furthermore, this paper shows the importance of integration of ICT tools and ELT which should be mastered by teachers in this 4.0 era.

Information and Communication Technology in Foreign Language Classes in English: Roles and Practices

Teaching and learning process in 21st century has been embedded with technology. Use of ICTs plays crucial role in ameliorating knowledge acquisition in general and enhancing English Language mastering in particular. The government of Nepal has made provision of integrating ICTs in school education with the aim of enhancing quality education and make both teachers and learners confidence and competitive in the present global world. In this context, this research intended to investigate roles and practices of ICTs at English as Foreign language classes (EFL) of Nepal. To achieve the objective, explanatory sequential mixed research design was adopted. Survey questionnaire, unstructured interview and non-participant observation were used to as the tools of data collection and forty secondary English teachers (20 from public schools & 20 from private schools) were the sample population. Two datasets; quantitative and qualitative were collected and analyzed sequentially. The findings of the research reveal that majority of the teachers were positive towards roles of ICTs in language teaching even they were doubt if ICTs could develop creative and critical abilities of the students. Though the teachers practiced ICTs in their classes, they felt discomfort in using new ICT tools and applications. The findings imply that teachers should be given training on ICT use for building up their skills; knowledge and confidence to achieve optimum advantages form it.

Communication challenges: Saudi EFL Speaking Skills and strategies to overcome speaking difficulties

The purpose of this study to present the findings of research conducted to challenges faced by Saudi English as foreign language (EFL) learners and to formulate some strategies to overcome their speaking difficulties. In Saudi Arabia, there is a widely held perception that it is possible for the EFL learners to attain the high levels of proficiency in writing reading and listening, but they cannot speak English as compared to their peers from around the globe. This is quite concerning as these students have selective and compulsory English courses that run through their almost ten years of compulsory school education. The challenges to speaking by these students had formerly been addressed by sorting out the challenges of deficiencies in teacher development and teacher education, learners’ autonomy lack of material and technology in the EFL classes and anxiety in learning a foreign language. The purpose is to seek answers to the challenges of speaking English from the Saudi speaking EFL students themselves. In order to do that a sample of 66 students who have enrolled in year one of intensive preparatory English class will be used. A mixed method research design will be used in the triangulation of the findings for higher validity. Quantitative data will be analyzed with software for data analysis while qualitative data will be analyzed by making use of descriptive analysis. The findings will help to identify the reasons why speaking English is a challenge for Saudi EFL students which will help in the formulation of strategies to overcome such challenges.

Communication Challenges: Saudi EFL Speaking Skills And Strategies To Overcome Speaking Difficulties

The purpose of this study to present the findings of research conducted to challenges faced by Saudi English as foreign language (EFL) learners and to formulate some strategies to overcome their speaking difficulties. In Saudi Arabia, there is a widely held perception that it is possible for the EFL learners to attain the high levels of proficiency in writing reading and listening, but they cannot speak English as compared to their peers from around the globe. This is quite concerning as these students have selective and compulsory English courses that run through their almost ten years of compulsory school education. The challenges to speaking by these students had formerly been addressed by sorting out the challenges of deficiencies in teacher development and teacher education, learners’ autonomy lack of material and technology in the EFL classes and anxiety in learning a foreign language. The purpose is to seek answers to the challenges of speaking English from the Saudi speaking EFL students themselves. In order to do that a sample of 66 students who have enrolled in year one of intensive preparatory English class will be used. A mixed method research design will be used in the triangulation of the findings for higher validity. Quantitative data will be analyzed with software for data analysis while qualitative data will be analyzed by making use of descriptive analysis. The findings will help to identify the reasons why speaking English is a challenge for Saudi EFL students which will help in the formulation of strategies to overcome such challenges.