English Language Classroom Research Articles

An Attempt of Construction of English Language Intelligent Flipped Classroom Teaching Mode from an Ecological Perspective

With the development of information technology and advancement of education reform, flipped classroom as an essential component of blended learning has drawn substantial attention from researchers and has been put into practice in full swing in modern classrooms. Besides, classroom teaching ecology regards teaching as an ecosystem, and treats teachers and students as the key elements of common development in a harmonious environment. The aim of this study is to explore a systematic construction of English language intelligent flipped classroom teaching mode from the perspective of ecology.Based on the theory of ecology, it first discusses the ecological connotation of English language intelligent flipped classroom teaching with classroom ecological factors and the relationships among them, and further expounds the essence of ecology for constructing an English language intelligent flipped classroom teaching model, and then analyzes the process of constructing the English language intelligent flipped classroom teaching mode on the basis of ecology. Specifically, it includes the construction of an ecological environment, ecological teaching method, ecological subjects’ relationship, and ecological learning platform, which ultimately realizes the educational function of the English language classroom ecological system.Additionally, the framework and procedures of ecological English language intelligent flipped classroom teaching have been attempted to be established. Finally, the study summarizes the potential impact of the intelligent flipped classroom on English teaching, and puts forward some practical teaching strategies and guidance for improving English language teaching in the future as well.

Exploring the Influence of Classroom Interaction on Academic Communication Skills in Secondary Schools: A Case Study of Selected Senior High Schools in the Tahoua Region

This study explored the relationship between classroom interaction and academic communication in secondary schools. The study was prompted by the low proficiency in English and French observed among students in the Faculty of Education in Tahoua after seven years of secondary education. The study adopted a mixed-methods research approach to uncover the reasons behind this situation, including classroom observations, semi-structured teacher interviews, a student questionnaire, and a controlled experiment. Data (quantitative and qualitative) were analysed through descriptive and inferential statistics and an inductive thematic approach. The study involved classroom observations in English and French language classrooms. In addition, the students (1391) were separated into two groups for the experiment: an experimental group that utilised interactive teaching methods and a control group that followed traditional methods. The results of the three-month experiment revealed that the experimental group exhibited enhanced oral communication skills compared to the control group, suggesting that classroom interaction is a key factor in academic communication. The findings of this study underline the importance of incorporating interactive teaching strategies in the classroom to enhance student communication skills.

Generation Z Students Characteristics and Attitude in a Chinese English Language Teaching Classroom

Recently, the notion of Generation Z has been received a wide attention in various academic studies. As the generation who were born and raised in the era of the Internet, digital tools, and social media, Generation Z tend to have different characteristics from the previous generations. In this respect, this paper focuses on providing a better view of Generation Z characteristics and their attitude towards English writing and classroom instructions in an English as foreign language classroom in Yunnan, China. Questionnaires and essay analysis were used to present the experimental Generation Z students opinions and their writing features. The results indicated the experimental Generation Z students have shown both the general characteristics (such as tech savy, multi-taskers) and the typical Chinese characteristics, and that these students had negative attitude to English writing and classroom instructions. As the current English language teaching seems ineffective in meeting the needs of Generation Z students in an L2 English language classroom, this paper concludes that it is urgent for language teachers to find effective methodology to enable the Generation Z students to achieve more in their English language learning practices.

Theoretical perspective of reading in English second language classrooms

Several language experts have proposed language models that provide a solid foundation for effective second language acquisition. This paper aims to review language theories and explain their relevance to English Second Language (ESL) learning through reading. The ultimate goal is to develop theoretical measures whose considerations and implementations could motivate learners to read more in order to effectively learn ESL, thereby improving academic performance. This paper highlights three theoretical lenses that contribute to the understanding of second language acquisition through reading, namely social constructivism, the input hypothesis, BICS and CALP theory. The study discovered that reading instruction in ESL should be practiced through a combination of multimodality, social interaction, and comprehensive input. The integration and use of appropriate technologies in ESL classrooms, teachers' awareness of their learners' developmental level, exposure to challenging reading materials, and the development of learners' critical thinking skills are all necessary components of second language acquisition. These components should be executed properly in the reading lessons for the learners to acquire ESL to the degree of proficiency.

Enhancing EFL University Students’ Readiness for Learning Academic Content in English: the Effectiveness of Combining MOOCs with Data-Driven Learning Activities in an English Language Classroom

The increase in English-medium instruction (EMI) courses in higher education has created many linguistic challenges for EFL students. This study was designed to test the effectiveness of using massive online open courses (MOOCs) and data-driven learning activities to prepare EFL students for learning academic content in English. The participants were 33 freshman students enrolled in an English course at a university in Taiwan. Nine English-taught MOOCs were pre-selected by the instructor, and a corpus of the transcripts of the course videos was built. The students were assigned to take one MOOC with group members over 4 weeks. Every week, before watching the video recordings of the MOOC, they explored the corpus to identify words that interested them and gathered with group members to discuss the words and predict the course content based on those words. After watching the course videos, they gathered again to discuss their learning experiences. The results of the pre-test and post-test showed that the participants made significant progress in their academic listening abilities. The results of the questionnaires suggested that integrating MOOCs, data-driven learning, and group discussion activities may also help learners acquire other abilities needed in EMI contexts.

Digital storytelling to facilitate academic public speaking skills: case study in culturally diverse multilingual classroom

A small scale study is reported in the article in an effort to determine the impact of enhancing cultural diversity in teaching academic public speaking skills as a result of Digital Storytelling (DS) implementation in multilingual classrooms of 2nd year TEFL pre-service students who took training over 7 weeks to become teachers of English as a foreign language. DS represents a powerful way of making/telling short stories using animation, website, audio video, and graphics. We explored DS in the English Language Classroom for TEFL pre-service students for developing public speaking skills because DS improves vocabulary enrichment and oral skills. Teachers also access students’ English language fluency, coherence, and cohesion to identify areas of academic public speaking skills improvement for their multilingual students. The experimental teaching had several stages, namely the introductory phase when students were supposed to decide on the topic of their stories and make initial drafts. The second phase was dedicated to the verification of the final draft by a tutor. During the last phase of the project, students performed their own DS with public presentations. The study used mixed research methods, i.e. both qualitative (focus group) and quantitative (questionnaires and rubrics) methods. Students used devices with digital capabilities to record narrations so their created DS included their personally produced public speech. Our results demonstrated that DS provided an opportunity to make students’ speech more coherent and cohesive because points of descriptors such as fluency, coherence, and cohesion of academic public speaking performances significantly improved by 15%. Moreover, this technique depicted a positive outcome because of its constant reiteration of academic vocabulary and grammar in multilingual groups, and cultural diversity in different nations.Kindly check and confirm the inserted abstract is processed correctly. We checked and confirm that the inserted abstract is processed correctly.

The Application of Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Pedagogy in English Speaking Classrooms – A Case Study

This paper discusses the challenges of ensuring equal access to education for diverse students in English speaking classrooms and the potential benefits of using culturally and linguistically responsive pedagogy (CLRP). The study aims to investigate the use of CLRP in English speaking classrooms, its impact on student learning outcomes, teacher pedagogy, and classroom dynamics. The research used a qualitative case study approach involving interviews with teachers, classroom observations, and a CLRP-incorporated lesson plan. The findings suggest that CLRP positively impacted students' motivation, engagement, and speaking skills, and helped bridge cultural differences. The study provides insights into the potential benefits of incorporating CLRP in English language classrooms in Malaysia and offers recommendations for teachers and policymakers on how to effectively integrate CLRP practices into their pedagogy.

Critical Issues in the English Language Classroom: ICT and Online Learning in Language Education

A critical issue in education since 2020 has been the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the teaching and learning process. The pandemic has affected all areas of education and foreign language teaching has not been the exception. The study presents key aspects of teacher experience and training in relation to their use of ICT, which has become ubiquitous for teaching and learning during the last two years. For this study, a mixed methodology approach was used with a semi-structured questionnaire that was administered through social networks as well as WhatsApp and emails. A total of 184 responses were recorded from English teachers from all educational levels, public and private schools as well as language institutions. The results showcase that the main aspects affecting the development of classes are teachers’ experience using ICT tools, training received, and technology appropriation. Moreover, the availability of a variety of tools for synchronous and asynchronous instruction, communication, and evaluation allowed teachers to rapidly transition into Emergency Remote Teaching. These results inform education stakeholders of the difficulties and opportunities brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Potential of Utilising Shared Linguistic Repertoire for Facilitating Interactions in EFL Classrooms

Inclusion of linguistic repertoire in the English language classroom has been an issue of ongoing debate among ELT scholars. While some believe in the effectiveness of English-only (monolingual) pedagogy, others view linguistic repertoire as resource that can benefit English language learning. Following a bi/multilingual approach to ELT, this paper reports findings of a qualitative study investigating four Indonesian English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) teachers’ beliefs and practices, focusing on (1) how the teachers used shared linguistic repertoire during English language instruction and (2) how their uses of shared linguistic repertoire facilitated classroom interactions. Data sources included interviews, classroom observations, and documents. The findings demonstrate that uses of shared linguistic repertoire facilitated both teacher-learner and learner-learner interactions, serving a range of pedagogical functions. This paper concludes by providing implications for teacher education and suggesting areas for future research.

THE REFLECTION OF LINGUISTIC ASPECTS OF CULTURE IN A LITERARY TEXT

English language learners can learn about many cultures and ideas through literature. In social life, literature, language, and culture are intertwined and mutually dependent. Because some words in a foreign language correspond to unique meanings in a particular civilization, members of other cultures may not understand them until the cultural background is provided, literary works play a crucial role in language education. As a result, the article addresses how crucial it is to teach culture in English language classrooms through literature in order to understand the societal values, religious beliefs, and cultural components of other societies.

Review of Pragmatics and its Applications to TESOL and SLA by Salvatore Attardo & Lucy Pickering (2021)

Pedagogical and developmental perspectives on L2 pragmatics have undergone rapid development in recent years (Attardo & Pickering, 2021; Ren, 2021). However, the application of pragmatics to English language classrooms is still limited since it has not been systematically included in most L2 language courses and materials (Roever, 2021). Pragmatics and its Applications to TESOL and SLA, by Salvatore Attardo and Lucy Pickering, provides a deep overview of essential concepts in pragmatics and how one can apply those concepts to the pedagogy of second language acquisition (SLA) and teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL). The authors devote this book to students, professionals, and novice researchers who are interested in the theoretical and practical sides of L2 pragmatics. The book consists of 11 chapters in which different fundamental and advanced pragmatics-related topics are highlighted.

THE INTEGRATION OF CULTURAL ELEMENTS IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE CLASSROOMS: A CASE STUDY OF SELECTED ORANG ASLI SCHOOLS IN PAHANG, MALAYSIA

Background and Purpose: This study examined the challenges faced by the Orang Asli students from the Jah Hut tribe and their reactions towards the integration of their cultural elements in learning the English language at two Orang Asli schools in Temerloh, Pahang, Malaysia. It also sought to investigate students’ and teachers’ motivation in learning and teaching the subject.
 
 Methodology: This critical qualitative inquiry employed a case study approach employing semi-structured interviews and non-participant classroom observations. A total of 14 participants were selected through purposive sampling technique, which consisted of ten Orang Asli students, three Orang Asli teachers, and one Malay teacher from two Orang Asli’s schools in Temerloh district.
 
 Findings: The findings indicated that integrating the Orang Asli’s own culture into the English lessons had captivated their interest immensely. The most motivating and stimulating lessons were centred around cultural celebrations, the use of the native language, cooking the Orang Asli delicacies, and parading and explaining their outfits and costumes. Teachers responded to the importance of Culturally Responsive Teaching strategies’ acceptance and use in the classrooms regardless of the composition of the students. Similarly, they felt that the knowledge of understanding the cultures of others is critical as it allows one to understand the struggles, and slowly develop a sense of appreciation towards differences.
 
 Contribution: The study highlights pertinent information regarding the issue of a ‘one size fits all curriculum’, especially in the teaching of the English language with the diversity of people in Malaysia. It also provides suggestions on classroom teaching strategies for multicultural classrooms. It also adds input to the existing literature on the integration of cultural elements in the teaching of the English language to the Orang Asli students.
 
 Keywords: Integration, culturally responsive teaching, Orang Asli, Jah Hut, ESL classrooms, cultural elements, indigenous pedagogy, English language curriculum.
 
 Cite as: Idrus, F., Hussin, M. E, & Gulca, M. (2023). The integration of cultural elements in the English language classrooms: A case study of the Orang Asli settlement in Pahang, Malaysia. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 8(1), 26-45. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol8iss1pp26-45

The Role of CLT in Promoting Learner Autonomy in English Language Classrooms: A Case Study on Bangladeshi Tertiary Education

Exploratory in nature, this study aims to discover how CLT is interconnected with learner autonomy and whether it effectively propagates autonomy in tertiary-level ELT classrooms of Bangladesh. A mixed-method approach is followed to conduct this research. Two separate sets of questionnaires have been developed and distributed among the tertiary teachers and students to collect the quantitative data. Additionally, the qualitative data is extracted from the semi-structured interviews of the tertiary students. The major findings of this current study conclude with four essential themes: collaborative learning, teachers’ role in tertiary CLT classrooms, autonomous learners, and freedom of learning with CLT. Moreover, the detailed analysis of these themes evaluates Bangladeshi tertiary students’ stance on CLT and affirms that CLT is quite sufficiently promoting learner autonomy in tertiary ELT classes. At last, the study concludes with a set of recommendations for tertiary teachers so that they can be more efficient in replicating CLT methods in language classrooms to ensure the everlasting display of autonomy.

The Diary an English Teacher Did Not Keep

Let me begin with a disclaimer. I am not very sure whether disclaimers are permitted in a volume of scholarly papers. And yet, disclaimers have a way of getting into the lived experience of some academicians, especially those who teach language and literature. We get to listen to unspoken disclaimers from students in the English language classroom, for example, when we ask questions. The unspoken has a particular narrative force for it puts our question under erasure. The disclaimer is written over in the language teacher’s classroom. There are different kinds of disclaimers like the one I make when I say that I am not an ELT specialist. It is quite possible to explain the potential of disclaimers and invest them with meaning. I build my disclaimer on the claim that I am not a language specialist in that sense and I do not have any formal training in the teaching and learning of English. My disclaimer that I am not an English Language Teaching specialist rests, perhaps paradoxically, on the claim that I am an English teacher. Disclaimers sometimes are followed by confessions. I never studied ELT or even ESP for that matter. I am aware of the possibility that my disclaimer could find some space alongside the disquisitions of those colleagues trained in ELT and ESP.

The Role of Motivational Techniques and Strategies Used by Teachers to English Language Classroom at Secondary School Level

The purpose of this study is to examine the role of motivational techniques employed in secondary school classrooms by public and private school teachers to encourage students. A total of two hundred and forty (240) secondary school teachers from eight public and private schools participated in the study. The information was gathered using a simple sampling approach. A questionnaire was utilized to gather information from teachers to determine how these techniques were implemented in public and private schools. To assess if there was a difference in opinion between the two types of secondary schools, an independent sample t-test was used. The findings found that teachers in both types of schools used a variety of techniques, including cooperative instructional behavior and lesson structuring. Overall work, reading, and writing abilities of students. In addition, private school instructors were more appreciative of students' achievements to motivate them than public school teachers. Teachers at private schools were also found to be more active in encouraging and counseling students to read newspapers than teachers in public schools.

The Use of Gamification in Enhancing Students Engagement and Performance in ESL Speaking Lessons

Malaysian second language learners are often passive in English language classrooms. Today, not only English is largely used for communication purposes in the physical world, it is extended to the virtual world too. Thus, it is pivotal for educators to enhance students’ tendency and confidence to speak in English. This paper discusses the importance of being able to converse in English, factors which hinder secondary students’ participation during English speaking lessons, and proposes the use of gamification to promote active participation among upper secondary students A pilot study was conducted using qualitative (classroom observation and interview) method, using convenience sampling. Ten upper Malaysian secondary students were selected at random to partake in the one group pre-post test experiment, and random sampling was used to sort them into pairs. Five students were randomly selected for the interview session. Based on the findings of the pilot study, it was observed that the students were more active and engaged in the speaking lesson when gamification was applied. In addition, students responded positively on how gamification has helped them become more engaged during the speaking lesson. By implementing gamification in English speaking lessons, it is seen as effective in enhancing students’ overall engagement during their speaking sessions. The study recommends English language teachers to incorporate gamification in all four language skills (speaking, reading, listening and writing), Grammar and vocabulary during the lessons.

The Effects of Morphological Awareness on L2 Vocabulary Knowledge of Thai EFL Young Learners

Morphological awareness (MA) is the ability to recognize words, identify the association between lexically attached parts of a word and create new lexical forms. Morphological instruction mediates the acquisition of new words and is, therefore, crucial for developing morphological awareness and vocabulary knowledge. Currently, the receptive-productive continuum of MA remains unclear, especially in an EFL context. This quasi-experimental study investigates how MA instruction affects the acquisition of morphologically complicated words and its impact on vocabulary knowledge among young Thai EFL learners. Six receptive and productive MA measures and four vocabulary knowledge measures were administered to 221 EFL young learners. While participants in the control group did not get this instruction, participants in the experimental group received explicit teaching on morphological awareness. A repeated measures ANOVA (with scores on several aspects of affixes as the dependent variable) with experimental and control cohorts and a repeated measure (time point) was conducted to probe Thai young EFL learners’ morphological awareness and vocabulary knowledge. The findings demonstrated an encouraging effect of MA teaching in English language classrooms. Specifically, the participants in the experimental group showed improved performance in both receptive and productive MA. This suggests that the explicit instruction of morphologies may benefit English learners in understanding words and ease vocabulary acquisition. Other implications of these findings are debated, considering current pedagogical practice and theory.

Combing Learners’ Challenges in The Learning of Literature in Malaysian ESL Classrooms: A Review

Incorporating literature in English language classrooms has been long implemented worldwide. Its benefits are undeniable since many past studies have proven that it could help the learners of English as a Second Language (ESL) improve their language proficiency. Despite many of the benefits shown, there are some difficulties encountered in the learning of literature in ESL classrooms. This review addressed two research questions, namely (a) examining the challenges learners encounter when learning English literature in an ESL classroom and (b) identifying alternative ways in learning literature. Around 40 research studies from the year of 2015 – 2022 and four (4) of past pertinent studies ranging from 2000 – 2010 were shortlisted from two databases, Google Scholar and UKM e-journal based on these two review questions. This review explored the challenges of learners when learning literature in ESL classrooms under three key concepts which are literary text, cultural differences, and learner’s attitude toward learning literature. This review further explored the alternative ways to learn literature which revealed two approaches through mapping and using multimodality as a medium of learning. This study then proposes further research on overcoming the challenges and maximising future research on the diversity of teaching and learning approaches in all feasible ways.

Penerapan Praktik Translanguaging dalam Pembelajaran Bahasa Inggris Disalahsatu Universitas Di Karawang

The purpose of this research is to identify the different forms of translanguaging utilized in general English classes at a university in Karawang, while also exploring the students' attitudes toward the use of translanguaging in the English language classroom. The primary research objective is centered on the types of translanguaging employed in the general English classes at a university. Furthermore, the study aims to ascertain the students' perceptions concerning the application of translanguaging in their general English language learning. This research employs a descriptive qualitative analysis as its methodological approach. The results revealed that a teacher used code-switching to assist students in understanding complex English language concepts. Additionally, the teacher frequently applied translation patterns in general English classes. As for students' perspectives, the findings suggest that the use of translanguaging can enhance their comprehension of the English language when presented by their teacher. Ultimately, this research argues that the implementation of translanguaging strategies by educators is particularly advantageous in augmenting students' comprehension of English language skills within the classroom setting.

Unleashing the Potential: Exploring Attitudes and Overcoming Challenges in Implementing Differentiated Instruction in the Philippines’ English Language Classrooms

This study investigates Filipino English language teachers’ views and issues with diversified education. Differentiated instruction, a student-centered approach, fosters inclusive education by giving students alternative ways to engage with the subject, process knowledge, and demonstrate mastery. However, there is little data on its use in Filipino English language classes. This study examines English language teachers’ views on tailored education and identifies the challenges they encounter when adopting differentiated education. Mixed-methods data collection was used to collect data on teachers’ varied instructional attitudes and obstacles. Most poll respondents were positive about differentiated instruction and confident in constructing effective differentiated units. However, inadequate resources, time, various student needs, reluctance to change, assessment and evaluation, and classroom management were highlighted. Alternative resources, collaboration, prioritization, and time-saving measures helped overcome these challenges. This study found that flexible scheduling, differentiating content, process, and product, cooperative learning, digital technologies, and stakeholder involvement can help teachers meet students’ diverse needs and promote equal learning outcomes.