English Language Teaching Students Research Articles

Choosing the right methods during the formation of speaking skills

This article examines the selection of effective methods for developing speaking skills in English language education, with a particular focus on the grammar-translation method. While this traditional method supports foundational vocabulary and grammar acquisition, it presents challenges in fostering oral communication and active speaking skills. Through a survey of third-year English language teaching students, this study identifies both the advantages and limitations of the grammar-translation method in achieving balanced language proficiency. Additionally, the role of idiomatic expressions and cultural context is explored as essential components for enhancing communicative competence in language learners.

Study of pragmatic analysis of literature on the development of ELT students’ receptive and productive skills: A case of North Cyprus

Language serves as a mirror reflecting our understanding of the world and mirrors the world of literature. Pragmatics extends beyond mere literal interpretation, delving into comprehending subtle implications, varying expressions and lexical ambiguities. This deepens our exploration and appreciation of the world of literature. It is worth investigating whether pragmatic instruction can improve students' language awareness and competence. To this end, a quasi-experimental study involving the students of two English language teaching (ELT) classes was conducted to determine whether pragmatic treatment could enhance students' comprehension skills and to identify how effectively the pragmatic understanding of literature through Shakespeare's language could aid the development of receptive and productive skills in ELT students. Participants took two pre-tests: multiple-choice discourse completion task (MCDCT) and discourse completion task (DCT) based on Othello. After the treatment, the same tests were administered as post-tests. Results showed that the experimental group outperformed the control group in comprehension skills. Cohen's D effect size calculation confirmed the practical usefulness of the treatment and the significant difference between the two groups. The study concludes that pragmatic training using literary texts contributes to developing ELT students' pragmatic competence.

L2 master’s and doctoral students’ preferences for supervisor written feedback on their theses/dissertations

The present study employed a qualitative research design to investigate possible differences between L2 master’s and doctoral students’ preferences for supervisor written feedback. Although the role of learners’ preferences, as a part of attitudinal engagement, has been emphasized in the literature on feedback, there are still niches in the literature that need to be occupied. One of these gaps is the examination of L2 master’s and doctoral students’ preferences for supervisor written feedback on their theses/dissertations. To bridge this research gap, the researcher interviewed 52 master’s and 21 doctoral Iranian English Language Teaching students. Thematic analysis of the interview data identified five main preferences: feedback that is clear, specific, encouraging, dialogic, and non-appropriative. The examination of interview data showed that both master’s and doctoral students expressed high levels of preference for receiving clear and encouraging feedback. A significantly higher percentage of master’s students expressed their preference for specific comments. In contrast, doctoral students exhibited heightened preferences for non-appropriative and dialogic feedback. The findings also provided insights into the underlying factors that can shape master’s and doctoral students’ preferences. Several practical implications and suggestions for further research are also discussed in this study.

Use of Artificial Intelligence in Education: English Language Teachers’ Identity Negotiation in Higher Education

The crucial question regarding English language teaching (ELT) and learning is: does overuse of AI or other technology become an attack on the educational process in disguise? This study intends to explain the excessive use of AI in education and its upcoming negative aspects on ELT teachers' identity and students' creativity. The researchers used qualitative phenomenology to investigate how ELT teachers perceived AI's impact on their leadership roles within the educational setting. As part of the research design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with sixteen ELT teachers and students from different districts in Punjab to obtain rich and detailed descriptions of their experiences and points of view using a purposive sampling technique. Under research question no.1 (Why does it seem that AI can be dangerous for ELT teachers' identity in the future?), this study finds that AI can be hazardous for ELT teachers' identity because it has shifted teachers' roles from knowledge providers to facilitators only. In light of the second research question (what is the influence of AI on students' self-motivation for creativity?), the significant finding is that AI negatively impacts students' thinking abilities, and their creative skills diminish gradually. The study suggests that educational institutions must take drastic measures to address teachers' apprehensions, misperceptions, and identity issues and clarify their roles and responsibilities in AI-driven educational scenarios where they may continue promoting creativity in the students under their charge.

Developing Animated Video of Describing People for Vocabulary Learning

This study aims to develop an animated learning video on describing people. The subjects of this study were first-year students majoring in English education at Riau University, totaling 39 students. The researchers applied Research and Development (R&D) by applying the ADDIE model. The instruments used were interviews, validation sheets from media experts, material experts, and pedagogic experts, and student response questionnaires. The results showed that the average results of the experts' assessment for animated videos with idioms for describing people material were 92.4% which was classified as 'highly valid' and for animated videos with material describing people; personality was 93% which was classified as 'highly valid', then from the results of student response questionnaires obtained a percentage score of 80.66% categorized as 'feasible' for video animations with idioms for describing people material and 79.22% categorized as 'feasible' for video animations with material describing people; personality. Therefore, the video animation is declared valid and feasible to be used as vocabulary learning media for English language education students. In addition, the use of animated video learning media describing people can have a positive impact on learning activities, namely attracting students' interest in learning and helping students understand the material.

Enhancing English Learning in an Islamic University Context: Identifying and Addressing Key Challenges

This study explores the factors contributing to students' difficulties in achieving effective English learning at the Muslim University of Indonesia (UMI) and identifies strategies to overcome these challenges. Utilizing a qualitative descriptive research design, data were collected through observations, interviews, and documentation with five fifth-semester students from the English Department. The findings reveal six critical barriers: lack of practice, vocabulary deficiency, environmental factors, lack of interest, low self-confidence, and pronunciation challenges. These factors significantly hinder students' English language proficiency, which is essential for their academic and professional success. The study suggests targeted interventions, including increasing practice opportunities, enhancing vocabulary instruction, creating supportive learning environments, tailoring materials to students' interests, building confidence, and improving pronunciation practice. The implications of these findings highlight the need for comprehensive and context-specific strategies in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education. Future research should further investigate these areas, considering alternative interpretations and the long-term impact of these factors on language proficiency. By addressing these challenges, educators and policymakers can enhance English language education and support students in achieving their full potential.

The role of emotional tensions in English language student teachers’ identity construction: an activity theory perspective

ABSTRACT Despite the recent growth of attention to language teachers’ emotions, knowledge about how emotional tensions contribute to student teachers’ identity construction is still under-developed. In response to this gap, the present study explored the role of emotional tensions in seven Iranian English language student teachers’ identity construction over a semester-long period. Theoretically grounded in activity theory, the study was conducted through collecting data from pre-course interviews, during-course reflective journals, and post-course interviews. Data analysis revealed three major themes: (1) emotional tensions as a source of marginalisation, (2) emotional tensions as a motivator of professional investment, and (3) emotional tensions as a fund of identity. We found that beyond positive and negative contributions for student teachers’ identity construction, emotional tensions could play a mediatory role in identity development when they interact with system-related discourses and participants. Based on the findings, we provide implications for teachers and teacher educators to turn emotional tensions into a positive contributor to interpersonal and organisational development.

Students’ Perception toward Microteaching Class in Relation with Internship Program

Microteaching is one of the core courses required by English Language Education students before undertaking an internship program. To be a professional teacher, a teacher must have 4 competencies those are pedagogical competence, personality competence, social competence, and professional competence. Thus, microteaching is needed for students-teachers to help them improve their teaching skills. The purpose of this study is to highlight the students’ perception of microteaching courses on specific topics such as students’ experiences in improving their teaching skills through feedback given by their lecturer and friends, the importance of microteaching for students, and students' need during the process of the microteaching class. The research subjects were 35 undergraduate English Language Education students (2018 cohort) who have taken microteaching courses and internship programs. This research used a qualitative descriptive method using explorative case study. The instruments for the data collection were questionnaires and interviews. The result showed positive attitudes towards the microteaching course. This research discovers the usefulness of microteaching classes in 3 aspects which are enriching students' knowledge before they teach in a real situation in an internship program, improving teaching skills to be implemented in their internship program, and helping students get the basic knowledge from the lecturer for developing lesson plans and learning media. Moreover, it builds student-teachers’ self-confidence and increases teaching skills in peer-teaching.

Exploring The Benefits Bilingualism: In Group Disscussion

Bilingualism in the 21st century is becoming increasingly relevant and important in the context of increasing globalization, technology, and social mobility. Like the word psychology, which just joined the world of education in the 20th century. The development of psychology is psycholinguistic. Bilingualism in group discussions provides many advantages in both academic and professional settings. Besides, bilingualism can be used in everyday life and acts as a communication bridge for interlocutors who are in the neighborhood of a variety of areas. This research is qualitative, with a qualitatively descriptive approach. The data came from a group of English-language education students and was obtained through observational research instruments and interviews. The data referred to in this study covers some of the benefits of bilingualism in group discussions. It can be concluded that this study found some benefits of bilingualism for group discussion by FKIP University Subang English Education Students through interviews with several students. The findings of the study yielded significant benefits to the students: improved communication skills, facilitated interaction with members, increased confidence, and added new vocabulary.

Student’s Perception on the use of Hello English Application in Improving Speaking Skills

Background. In the current era of globalization, the rapid development of technology greatly affects various aspects of life, including education. The Hello English application has been introduced as a learning medium to improve English speaking skills for students. Speaking is an important skill in language learning that involves an interactive process of meaning construction. Purpose. This study aims to explore students' perception of the use of the Hello English application in improving their speaking skills, as well as to find out how effective this application is in helping the teaching and learning process. Method. This study uses a quantitative approach with data collection through questionnaires distributed to students majoring in English Education at Batang Hari Jambi University. The data obtained was analyzed to determine students' perception of the use of the Hello English application. Results. The results of the study show that most students agree that the Hello English app is effective in improving their speaking skills. This application is considered practical, interesting, and able to increase students' interest in learning. The features in the application, such as speaking practice with native speakers and structured learning materials, are very helpful for students in mastering English speaking skills. Conclusion. The Hello English app has great potential in improving students' English speaking skills. The use of this application facilitates the teaching and learning process and provides an interactive and fun learning experience. However, this study has limitations in the scope of the subject which only includes English Language Education students at one university. Further research is suggested to expand the scope of the subject and deepen the understanding of the use of technology-based learning applications in various fields of education.

Transnational research in English language teaching: critical practices and identities. Rashi Jain, Bedrettin Yazan, Suresh Canagarajah (2022). UK: Bristol, Multilingual Matters, 264 Pages, ISBN: 9781788927468

The globalization of English and shifts demanded by the 21st century have modified the landscape of English language teaching (ELT) in the past decades (Blitvich, 2018). The members of such a globalized village now engage in diverse practices and identity formation processes (Kumaravadivelu, 2008; Silva, 2016). However, many studies on ELT globalization and transnationalism are dominated by specific communities of practice (e.g., US). Additionally, a global and inclusive picture of transnational research on ELT praxis and identity is missing. To fill these gaps, the present volume entitled “transnational research in English language teaching: critical practices and identities” aims to showcase the complex global ELT landscape across contexts and practitioners in order to deepen our understanding of the transnational research and practice. Jain, Yazan, and Canagarajah unified a range of inquiries on this topic drawing on language teachers, educators, and researchers from different backgrounds. The volume considers personal, professional, and theoretical foundations of transnational identities and pedagogical practices, which are shaped by communities of practice. Since this volume rests on trajectories and lived experiences of ELT professionals across the globe, it decenters and decolonizes research in the field and provides a geographically wide insight. Therefore, the book is beneficial for ELT students, teachers, researchers, and teacher educators in that their disciplinary vision could be expanded to a more just and inclusive landscape.

Pre-Service English Language Teacher Readiness Before and After a Practicum Interrupted by the Pandemic

With a quantitative research design, the present study aims to explore the teacher readiness of pre-service foreign language teachers during the practicum in terms of their perceived teaching self-efficacies, attitudes towards teaching, and teaching motivations. In order to uncover changes in pre-service foreign language teachers' perceived teaching self-efficacies, attitudes towards teaching, and teaching motivations, two sets of quantitative data from 80 last year English Language Teaching students enrolled in a teaching practice class at a Turkish state university were collected through three different scales before and after the practicum period, which was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings revealed significant increases in the participants' perceived teaching self-efficacies and attitudes towards teaching at the end of the practicum. Moreover, the teaching motivations of the participants appeared to have changed towards more altruistic and intrinsic orientations at the end of the practicum. Considering the unique and unusual conditions emerged during the data collection period, the study sheds light on the cruciality of the practicum period in teacher education even in such crisis situations.

EFFECTS OF RESEARCH ACTIVITIES ON THE RESEARCH SELF-EFFICACY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE STUDENT TEACHERS

This study explored whether the incorporation of specific research activities into the syllabus could develop the research self-efficacy of a group of English language student teachers in Vietnam who belong to a demographic group currently underrepresented in self-efficacy literature. It also attempted to understand the perceived effects of the intervention on students’ research self-efficacy. The study adopted a quasi-experimental research design and a mixed-methods methodology. Pre- and post-questionnaires along with weekly reflective journal entries were used as data tools. Results indicate that due to their involvement in the intervention, the students in the experimental group displayed a stronger sense of research self-efficacy compared to those in the control group. The students in the experimental group gradually developed their self-efficacy owing to a growth in research knowledge and skills and a therapeutic research-training environment. The findings of the study are informative to the design, refinement, and optimization of future interventions that facilitate the effects of research experiences, knowledge, and skills on undergraduates’ research self-efficacy beliefs.

EXAMINING TEACHING WITH DESIGN-ORIENTED THINKING APPROACH IN TERMS OF DIFFERENT VARIABLES

This mixed-methods study aimed to investigate the effect of the design thinking approach on vocabulary learning achievement, cooperative learning, and problem-solving skills of secondary school students in English language teaching. The research was conducted with 43 students studying in the 8th grade at a secondary school located in Turkey during the fall semester of 2020–2021. During the implementation process, the effect of the design thinking approach on the vocabulary learning achievement, cooperative learning perception, and problem-solving skills of the experimental group students was investigated. In the control group, all practices were the same except for the design thinking approach due to controlling for the dependent variables with the blended learning method. Qualitative data were used to support the quantitative data obtained. Measurement tools developed by the researchers were used to collect the quantitative data, and interview questions were prepared to collect the qualitative data from the students. As a result, the design thinking approach indicated a significant difference in favor of the experimental group in terms of students’ vocabulary learning achievement, cooperative learning perception, and problem-solving skill and had a positive effect on students.

An Analysis of Grammatical Errors Committed by Students in Writing Argumentative Paragraph

Writing skills are very important for students to master to help them prepare for their future. However, grammar is one of the obstacles for students in writing English. This research aims to analyze grammatical errors made by students in writing argumentative paragraphs and to analyze the sources of these errors. Second semester English Language Education students were chosen as the subjects of this research. Furthermore, in analyzing the data, this research applies a combination of descriptive qualitative and descriptive quantitative methods. Apart from that, data was collected through collecting documents from the end-of-semester tests. The data analysis procedure consists of three specific steps, namely data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions/verification. The results of the research found that students made 11 types of errors with a total of 165 errors. Most of them made omission of article errors with 39 (23.63%) errors, then simple addition 33 (20%) errors, alternating form 27 (16.36%) errors, omission of to be 21 (12.72%) errors, then omission of preposition 17 (10.30%) errors, omission of plural –s with 15 (9.09%) errors, misordering 6 (3.63%) errors, regularization 3 (1.81%) errors, and finally double marking and archi-form each 1 ( 0.60%) error. In addition, sources of errors were found in four types: interlingual transfer, intralingual transfer, context of learning, and communication strategy. The majority of students made mistakes due to intralingual transfer, 119 (72.12%) errors were found, followed by interlingual transfer 41 (24.84%) errors, communication strategy 3 (1.81%), and context of learning 2 (1.21%) errors.

Examining the Application of a Similar Problem-Based Learning Procedure in Teacher Education and Engineering Education Programs

This multiple case study aims to describe how Turkish students in English Language Teaching (ELT) and Electrical-Electronics Engineering Program (EEP) conceive of Problem-based Learning (PBL), and how they experience their studies within a PBL-oriented curriculum. With the inclusion of these two cases into the study, the rationale is to represent two different educational perspectives and to obtain in-depth, extensive, and comparable data. The participants from the ELT and EEP were first-year students who pursued courses in English, which is taught as a foreign language in Turkiye. During one semester, the data were collected through open-ended questionnaires and reflection reports, both of which were analyzed qualitatively with an interpretative phenomenological approach. The results revealed commonalities as well as differences in how students in these two comparable programs perceived and experienced PBL. Commonalities were many in number and involved positive perceptions along with beneficial experiences of PBL. Yet, differences only stemmed from the number of frequencies of some similar issues raised by both groups of students. The most eye-catching difference was that the EEP students emphasized the anticipated benefits of PBL less frequently than the ELT students did. However, at the end of the process, the EEP students proposed benefits gained from PBL more frequently.

Investigating Smartphone Empowerment for Self-Regulated Learning in English Language Acquisition: A Descriptive Study

This study investigates the perceptions of undergraduate English Language Education students on the utilization of smartphones for self-regulated learning and the acquisition of the English language. The study investigates the ways in which smartphones facilitate the learning of English language through self-directed techniques, using Zimmerman's model of self-regulation and the MALL framework as theoretical basis. An exploratory investigation including 110 students was conducted to analyze their experiences, perspectives, and practices in utilizing language learning applications. The findings indicate a range of levels of knowledge and usage, with students generally acknowledging that smartphones are valuable tools for improving language acquisition through self-regulation. Analysis based on Zimmerman's model yields high average scores (3.42-3.51) for forethought, performance, and reflection & evaluation, indicating students engage in self-regulated learning practices. According to the MALL framework analysis, task design and design characteristics, all received high ratings (ranging from 3.42 to 3.68). This indicates that the app features effectively promote self-regulated learning activities. This study emphasizes the crucial role that smartphones play in promoting self-regulated learning practices and enhancing the acquisition of the English language among university students

Cognitive Test Anxiety and Academic Performance of Undergraduate Students in Istanbul

Test anxiety has become a grueling burden, especially for students in the competitive world. As a result, contextualization of anxiety in education has been retaining the attention and demands of educators and psychologists so far. A student’s GPA in academic life is one of the crucial and numerical indicators of academic achievement. This present study endeavors to investigate the potential distinctions between the level of cognitive test anxiety of students in English Language Teaching (ELT) and English Language Literature (ELL) departments and their cumulative GPA (out of 4,00). Also, the second goal of this investigation is to delve into the possible significant differences marked between gender and students’ cognitive test anxiety levels. This investigation presents some sources to explicate test anxiety and students’ GPAs before presenting the main data results from a variety of studies. Finally, the Cognitive Test Anxiety Scale was employed by the researchers, so 60 English Language Teaching students and 46 English Language and Literature students showed their participation (N= 106) on Cognitive Test Anxiety Scale items. Following this part, this research is finalized with the conclusion, which includes an analysis of data results and an examination of relevant research findings. In the conclusion part, it can be seen that Cognitive Test Anxiety scores and students’ departments showed salient differences; however, Cognitive Test Anxiety and participants’ genders have similar points to each other. Moreover, there was no correlation detected between their GPAs and their levels of Cognitive Test Anxiety. However, both students’ GPAs scores and their departments and their GPAs’ and genders show some differences.

The Impact of Using Gamification on English language learning in increasing Learning Motivation

Background. 21st century education demands changes in learning methods to increase students' learning motivation. Gamification, or the use of game elements in a learning context, has been recognized as an effective tool to increase student engagement and motivation. However, more in-depth research is still needed to evaluate the effectiveness of gamification in increasing the motivation to learn English among English Language Education students. Purpose. The main purpose of this research is to evaluate the effectiveness of using gamification in increasing the motivation of students in learning English. Method. Through a quantitative approach and survey method, this research aims to investigate the experience, perception, and level of student learning motivation related to the use of gamification in English language learning. English Education. The survey was conducted by distributing questionnaires compiled based on related literature and previous research on gamification. The survey steps are voluntary and the confidentiality of the data is strictly maintained. Results. Based on the results of the analysis of the sixth questionnaire, gamification proved to have a positive impact on increasing students' learning motivation in learning English. The majority of respondents feel effective or enthusiastic about the use of gamification. However, there are a small number of respondents who feel neutral towards the concept of gamification. Further evaluation and efforts to expand the understanding and application of gamification need to be done. Conclusion. This research shows that the use of gamification in English language learning promises to increase students' learning motivation. However, continuous evaluation and improvement is required to maximize its potential use. Thus, gamification can be considered as an effective learning strategy in the context of learning English in the 21st century education era.

Teachers’ Challenges toward Chinese-Indonesian Students in ELT: A Multicultural Narrative Analysis

Javanese and Chinese-Indonesian ethnics are the majority and minority ethnic in Indonesia. Lots of difference are always found in their social environment including education. Teachers will face difficulties if they don’t understand well how to engage with multicultural students. Therefore, both ethnics require intercultural competence which is the composite of knowledge, attitude, skill and understanding adjusted through intercultural activities. This research aims at exploring the challenges of EFL teachers’ experiences with Javanese ethnicity on Chinese-Indonesian students in English Language Teaching. This study uses qualitative method with narrative approach. The data in this study are statements from interview session which is done by two EFL teachers from Javanese as subjects of data source. Then, the data are analysed by thematic. This study delivers three challenges as the result. First challenge comes from rich Chinese-Indonesian family. Secondly, split of mother language becomes a challenge. The last challenge is high work ethic from Chinese-Indonesian people.