English Language Classroom Research Articles

Teaching English and the Grammatical Use of the Pronoun: Queer(y)ing the Teaching of Writing

AbstractIn Australia, and indeed in many countries around the globe, teaching pronouns for reading comprehension and cohesion in writing in English language classrooms is not only a curriculum directive but a social justice imperative. In this paper, we combine the teaching of pronouns in English with social justice concepts of political representation and cultural recognition for gender equity. We engage a gender‐expansive understanding of the term gender, beyond a male and female binary, and recognize that children identify with and express genders that are non‐binary. For gender equity to progress and for children to have parity of participation for learning English, gender‐expansive understandings about language such as pronouns is important for engaging in socially just teaching and learning in English language classrooms. This paper presents three resources related to teaching about pronouns in primary school contexts using a gender‐expansive understanding. Children must see themselves represented in the language that they are immersed in, learning in, and learning about. Here we offer gender‐expansive teaching practices for teaching pronouns in the English language classroom.

Code-switching in English language classrooms: revealing teachers’ strategies and motivations for effective language instruction

Code-switching in English language classrooms: revealing teachers’ strategies and motivations for effective language instruction

Research on English Classroom Teaching Programs in Colleges and Universities Based on Wireless Communication Technology Support in the Context of 5G

The purpose of this article is to investigate how 5G and wireless communication technologies (5G+WCT) might be applied to English language classroom programs in higher education. The paper describes the complimentary roles of 5G and wireless communication technologies in English language teaching, includes student data collecting and standardization as part of the pre-processing, and optimizes the teaching system using an enhanced ant colony algorithm (BACO). Furthermore, the thesis delineates diverse approaches to verify and assess the program's efficacy. Through the creation of cutting-edge instructional strategies and data collection techniques, this study fosters innovation in English language instruction in higher education. The study offers promise for real-world application and is significant for raising student success, instructional quality, and educational efficacy. However, since 5G technology is still developing, the results of this study could not be applicable in the future or would need to be updated.

Practices and Perceptions of Teacher Educators on Learner Autonomy

This study explores practices and perception of English language teacher educator on learner autonomy. It aimed to identify the ways through which teacher educators practice autonomy in students learning and encourage them be autonomous. Using qualitative narrative inquiry research design, the data were collected through interviews with the five English language teacher educators teaching at undergraduate level, of Far Western University, Nepal. The findings of the study highlight a shared understanding of learner autonomy, emphasizing independent learning, self-direction, and responsibility. Teacher educators stress the pivotal role of instructors in promoting autonomy, advocating for a shift from traditional to student-centered methods. Despite a common understanding, challenges persist, including psychological factors, institutional constraints, and socio-cultural beliefs. The study also suggests the need to address these challenges through targeted strategies for successful promotion of learner autonomy in English language classrooms. Moreover, the study shows that even though it is challenging, teacher educators are making efforts to encourage students be autonomous in providing choices, goal-setting, encouraging self-evaluation, finding out the resources, preparing assignments, having class presentations into classroom practice using different strategies.

The Digital Story Tool For English Language Classroom in Higher Education

This paper describes the design of educational digital story tool for English language classroom in higher education to support and overcome students' learning difficulties. The method in this research is a literature study which aims to reveal and explain theories that can answer the research objectives.The method in this research is a literature study which aims to examine a research problem. Lecturers can choose a digital story tool pratform that is able to create an interactive and innovative class atmosphere with the application such as storybird, StoryboardThat, and Klynt.

The Jigsaw Learning Model to Promote Engagement in the English Language Classroom: A Teacher’s Reflection

Learning activities employing the lecture model have induced boredom among students and resulted in poor participation in the classroom, including in the English as a foreign language class. Low student participation in classrooms may impede the development of their skills. The jigsaw cooperative learning model provides an opportunity for students to collaborate and actively participate. This collaborative action research aims to assist students in addressing engagement issues in English lessons through the jigsaw cooperative learning model. The collaborative action research involved a cohort of 36 primary school students, comprising 20 females and 16 males, in the city of Purwokerto, Indonesia. Data was collected through observation, and the observational data obtained were then analyzed using descriptive statistics. After three cycles, student engagement increased from 56% (baseline) to 65.56%, 75.56%, and 79.44%, respectively. The desired criteria for intervention success (75%) were met in cycle 2, leading to the conclusion of the investigation in cycle 3. Based on the results, it can be inferred that the adoption of the jigsaw learning model has effectively enhanced student engagement in the English language class. Practical implications of the study are then presented.

Teachers’ Perceptions on the Role and Challenges of using ICT in English Language Classrooms

This paper assessed teachers’ perceived role and limitations on using ICT as a pedagogical tool in enhancing English language fluency. The study employed a descriptive case study design in which interviews, focus group discussions and document analysis were used to collect data. The collected data were analyzed qualitatively through recording the data for thematic procedures. It was found that teachers perceived ICT as an important pedagogical tool for enhancing grammar, vocabulary and accurate pronunciation. However, the use of ICT for teaching English language was limited due to poor ICT infrastructures, insufficient training, teachers’ readiness and unclear policies. The study recommends the government to make a critical investment in ICT facilities and ensure high internet connectivity in secondary schools. A practical training for English teachers on the adoption and integration of ICT through virtual platforms would certainly improve the practice.

Queer students in international higher education: a review of distinct motivations, considerations, and challenges

AbstractPursuing education overseas is a high impact practice in higher education. Students who identify as LGBTQIA + —commonly referred to as “queer,” an umbrella term—may be more likely to participate yet face additional unique challenges. Using a systematic review of literature across multiple disciplines, this paper explores LGBTQIA + students’ motivations, identity development, and university experiences while participating in education overseas. It also aims to define the term queer international student and examines the theoretical frames used to understand this population in the literature. Findings show that literature carves out a composite of students who view, and sometimes actively seek, overseas education to develop themselves, express their identities, and live in communities that are more welcoming and safer than those at home. However, they also face conflict in English language classrooms, on campuses, and with their families as they navigate expectations, with some switching between cisheteronormative and queer identities in different communities. On university campuses, scholars noted, queer international students can be viewed singularly as international students, with their sexual orientations and other intersectional identities going unrecognized or being erased. Moreover, higher education scholars and practitioners often do not designate—or perhaps exclude—international students in studies and programming for LGBTQIA + students. As a result, queer international students may not feel like they belong in any group and risk being double-marginalized in higher education. This paper concludes with five recommendations for additional research in this emerging subfield of higher education literature.

To Be or Not to Be: Undergraduate ESL Learners’ Attitudes Towards Code-Switching

Code-switching and its pros and cons, is a highly debated phenomenon in second language learning in a classroom setting. This study also discusses how hindering code-switching affects the learning process in English language classrooms. The data for this quantitative study was gathered from the population of 50 BS second language learners at the University of Lahore through a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire. The results indicate that the majority of undergraduate learners have a favorable disposition towards the practice of code-switching. They face difficulties when they are not allowed to switch codes in the classroom. However, it has been found that there are a few learners who do not feel any difficulty in the absence of code-switching opportunities. According to the findings, stopping the learners from code-switching in educational settings is disadvantageous. The encouragement of code-switching practice in classrooms is a robust way of enhancing communicative skills, socio-emotional engagement, and accelerating learning outcomes. These findings have important implications for language educators and policymakers and will help in fulfilling the actual classroom requirements and bringing about a change in the attitudes towards code-switching.

Competence-based language curricula: implementation challenges in Africa

Abstract Drawing on a case study design, this article examines the real-life adaptive challenges secondary school teachers of English in Uganda face while implementing the 2020 English language competence-based curriculum innovation. Findings indicate that scarcity of instructional materials, time constraints and large class sizes, limited planning and stakeholders’ support, dissonance between local culture and learning styles significantly underlie complications ESL teachers face adapting and implementing competence-based curricula innovations in English language classrooms in low-income contexts in the global south. The experiences of teachers in Uganda resonate across most global south ESL educational contexts. They illustrate the universality of challenges teachers face and are likely to face when implementing competence-based curricula in sub-Saharan Africa and the wider global south where the teaching and learning of English is premised on facilitating acquisition of English language for meaningful interaction.

Associations between Autonomy-Supportive Teaching, the Use of Non-Academic ICTs, and Student Motivation in English Language Learning

During puberty, children experience an increased need for autonomy in all areas of their lives, including school. However, teachers use different levels of autonomy-supportive teaching strategies, which might have detrimental effects on students’ perceived competence and—building on self-determination theory—motivation to learn. In this preregistered study, we investigated whether students could buffer the negative impact of little perceived autonomy support in the English-language classroom on their perceived competence and, consequently, two motivational outcomes (grade aspirations, intrinsic motivation) by using non-academic English-language ICTs in their free time. We calculated several (moderated) mediation models with a Bayesian estimator, using data from N = 1288 Austrian secondary school students who answered three online questionnaires between May 2022 and April 2023. The results showed that perceived competence predicts both types of motivation and is influenced by students’ use of non-academic English-language ICTs. However, the effects of autonomy-supportive teaching strategies depend on which variables are included in the models. Our study therefore highlights the importance of examining several aspects of autonomy-supportive teaching and including variables from outside the school to represent the complex environment in which students’ motivation is shaped.

Repositioning Corrective Feedback to a Meaning-Orientated Approach in the English Language Classroom

The practice of Corrective Feedback (CF), which is situated within a Second Language Acquisition (SLA) Paradigm, is currently positioned towards an accuracy-orientated delivery based on native speaker norms. This is despite the recognition in different areas of linguistic research that there is considerable variation in the way that English is spoken around the world. This paper argues that the epistemological assumptions and methodological approaches to investigate CF within an SLA paradigm have various underlying weaknesses that undermine research findings. These findings purport to provide support for an accuracy-orientated CF in the English classroom. However, it is suggested in this paper that a meaning-orientated CF would be more reflective and beneficial for students given the transformative changes that have occurred to English over the past 30 years. This perspective is discussed in relation to one teacher’s approach to CF who participated in a larger project which examined CF conducted in a British-Sino University.

Translanguaging Pedagogy in Thailand’s English Medium of Instruction Classrooms: Teachers’ Perspectives and Practices

The present study explores the perspectives and instructional approaches adopted by five university English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in Thailand about using translanguaging pedagogy in monolingual English instruction. Examining the concept of translanguaging pedagogy and framed in an exploratory-descriptive qualitative research design through individual interviews, the findings emphasize the significance of acknowledging students’ first language, emphasizing the favorable opinions of the participants toward the use of translanguaging in English language classrooms. The findings also demonstrate that translanguaging pedagogy serves as a scaffolding mechanism, enabling students to leverage their pre-existing linguistic abilities to enhance their proficiency in the English language. This study makes a valuable contribution to the existing body of research on translanguaging pedagogy, as it does not only place importance on students’ linguistic and cultural backgrounds, fostering a classroom environment that is safe and inclusive, but it also emphasizes the significance of language teachers recognizing and accepting the coexistence of translanguaging pedagogy in classrooms where English monolingual policies are mandated. We discuss the implications and offer research recommendations.

The Use of Technology in English Language Teaching: A Thematic Analysis to Investigate the Effectiveness of Integrating Technology in the English Language Classroom

This research paper explores the effectiveness of integrating technology, specifically computer-assisted language learning (CALL) and mobile applications, in the English language classroom. The study adopts a qualitative approach using thematic analysis to explore the experiences, perceptions, and attitudes of English language teachers and students towards the integration of technology. Data collection methods include interviews, observations, and document analysis. The findings of this study shed light on the benefits, challenges, and implications of incorporating technology in English language teaching, ultimately providing insights for educators and policymakers.

Individual Factors Affecting Learner’s Willingness to Speak in EFL Classroom

This qualitative study aims at investigating what individual factors affecting learners Willingness to Communicate (WTC) in EFL classroom. Data were gernered using reflection which were distributed to 15 learners of the fifth semester at the English Education program in one of universities in Southeast Sulawesi. The researcher analyzed the learners’ reflection using thematic analysis (TA) through coding the data by underlining code and conceptual framework of WTC. The study result shows that several individual factors were identified as having an influence on learners’ willingness to speak, including perceived opportunity to communicate, emotions, interest, anxiety, feeling of insecurity, self-confidence, L2 proficiency and personalities. This study implies that these nine individual factors were found to be influential in effecting students’ WTC in English in this particular study, and the teachers need to pay more attention to these factors in providing instructions in EFL classroom.Keywords: English foreign language classroom; English foreign language learners; individual factors; willingness to communicate.

Is it possible to have a dialogical English language classroom? Challenges and advantages

The research aims to investigate are opportunities and challenges in English language teaching classrooms for dialogic teaching. To achieve the aim of the research, a multiple case study design was chosen. The cases were determined by considering the socio-economic, socio-cultural, and success levels of the schools. The data are obtained from qualitative techniques which are observation of the class and interviews with teachers. The study group consisted of students in 5th grade and English Language Teachers. The findings of the article consist of observing the dialogues in the classrooms using a structured observation form and interviews with teachers using a semi-structured interview form. The research offers new insights for further practice and research, in terms of identifying challenges and advantages for the application of dialogic teaching. Keywords: Dialogy; dialogic classroom; dialogic teaching; English language; English language teaching

THE USE OF MULTIMEDIA VISUAL AIDS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION: EXPERIENCE AT A VIETNAM’S MIDDLE SCHOOL

This research examined the perceptions of students and teachers towards the integration of multimedia visual aids (MVAs) in the English language classroom. It was based on Stake (1995) and Yin (2003)’s theoretical frameworks of case study research. A mixed-methods sequential explanatory design was used with the participation of 40 grade six students and 20 English teachers at a middle school in Hanoi, Vietnam. The study results showed discrepancies between the students’ and teachers’ perceived frequency of using MVAs in English lessons. However, both the teachers and students acknowledged the effects of these facilities in boosting theirconcentration, participation, and English language acquisition. The teachers also valued the effectiveness of MVAs in their preparation for lessons, time management, confidence, and teaching enthusiasm. However, some teachers, mostly older ones, voiced their reservations about the overuse of MVAs in lessons. The study results suggested that MVAs should be used more frequently but adequately, and teachers Should be provided with sufficient related training to reap the most significant benefit of the teaching-learning process.

The affordances of a mobile video-tagging tool for evaluating presentation skills in a second language

ABSTRACT This study investigated the affordances of a mobile video observation and tagging tool used to evaluate presentation skills in English language classrooms. The data consists of 35 video-recorded presentations in a higher education setting. Using a digital evaluation grid, the students received feedback based on visual analytics generated by the mobile app. The students then were asked to reflect on their performances, and were also asked to comment on the affordances and limitations of the method and the tool. Qualitative data that came from (1) students’ written self-evaluations and reflections and (2) their reported perceptions of the affordances of the tool were analyzed using the Constant Comparison Method. Analyses of reflective writings indicated the dominance of negative self-evaluations of language use, while affective factors were also a strong theme. The video-tagging tool was found to be very beneficial by the learners, mainly in enabling them to notice their strengths and weaknesses in presenting in English and facilitating effective feedback. The results show that this data-led reflective presentation model can be beneficial for learners as they can identify points of development.

Implementing Improvisation Techniques to Teach Spoken English at Undergraduate Level: A Classroom Action Research

The present study investigated the effectiveness of the implementation of improvisation techniques in the English language classroom to enhance the speaking skill of the students of BS level at the university of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan. The improvement in students’ speaking scores and the betterment of the classroom ambiance were the two target goals of this research. The study employed the collaborative classroom action research design by following the Kemmis’ and Mctaggart (2004) spiral model as theoretical framework. The subject of the study was the first semester students of BS Secondary Education, University of the Punjab. The study carried out in two cycles where each cycle was based on four stages i.e. planning, action, observation and reflection. The results of the speaking exam show the significant progress of students speaking competence. Their average grades were increased from 2.43 in pretest scores to 3.23 during first cycle and 3.78 in the second cycle. It indicates a noticeable improvement. The Students’ cooperation, response and active participation in the activities in the whole teaching learning process highlights the higher motivation level and learning spirits after the implementation of the improvisation techniques. It was evidenced by their participation rates of 78.6% in cycle 1 and 88.6% participants in cycle 2.

Uncovering the Determinants of English Language Anxiety in Undergraduate Learners

English Language plays a crucial role in global communication across various domains. The objective of this study was to investigate English language anxiety among undergraduate learners at Pakistani private universities and explore the factors affecting language related anxiety. The researchers assessed three demographic variables—age, gender and years of English language learning—alongside three key aspects contributing to language anxiety: Test Anxiety, Fear of negative evaluation, and communication apprehension. Data were collected from one hundred undergraduate participants in the study using English Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (ELCAS). Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, multiple regression, and correlation analysis. The data revealed a significant correlation between years of English language study and language anxiety. However, there was no relationship between gender, age and English language anxiety. The multiple regression analysis revealed that the primary factor related to language anxiety is the fear of negative evaluation. The study underscores the importance of addressing the fear of negative evaluation as the key factor in English language anxiety among Pakistani private university undergraduates and recommends tailored language programs and professional development for educators to create a supportive learning environment.