English Teachers Research Articles (Page 1)

Owning a small business comes with several challenges and for those who identify as English as an additional language (EAL) migrant women who are small business owners (WSBO), some of the challenges are further exacerbated. These further challenges may be linked to the fact that they identify as female and that they are English as another language speakers. For the research project reported on in this article, a cohort of these businesswomen in Aotearoa New Zealand and specifically in the Waikato Region completed a survey and were interviewed on challenges that they faced. In the survey and interviews with the businesswomen and a group of their stakeholders, some challenges emerged that related to language and cultural competence. To provide potential solutions or management suggestions, interviews were conducted with a cohort of applied linguists who are English language teachers. The aim was to get the teachers’ perspectives and advice on how the businesswomen could address several language and cultural competence situations. Keywords: businesswomen, pragmatics, intercultural communication, English as an international language, English as an additional language, applied linguists

Abstract This study adopts Q methodology with an intensive single‐case design to document emotional states of three early‐career (EC) Language Other Than English (LOTE) teachers in Thai secondary schools. The participants, including a Chinese teacher, a French teacher, and a Japanese teacher, performed a card‐ranking task multiple times throughout a semester to report their experienced emotions at the time of each session. The findings suggest that EC teachers navigated their emotions through expectations, the status of LOTE education, and passion for teaching, influenced by their subjective appraisals of classroom and course events, particularly in relation to student relationships and progress. It is recommended that language teacher education adopt a progressive, career‐stage approach to integrating the psychology of language teachers, introducing foundational components of positive psychology at the preservice stage and extending these through reflective practice, mentoring, and emotion regulation strategies.

ABSTRACT This study extends our understanding of Chinese secondary school English teachers’ motivation and willingness to teach seniors English using Q methodology. Four distinct teacher profiles were identified, focusing on career attractiveness and social value, teaching significance and personal adaptability, social demand and professional value, and teaching practice and social significance. The findings indicate that teachers are motivated by career prospects, the universal value of teaching, social demand, and professional value. Drawing on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), teachers’ attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control collectively shape their willingness to teach. The results provide theoretical insights and practical recommendations for promoting English education for the older adults.

The design and implementation of teacher training courses for English teachers demand careful strategic planning to integrate synchronous and asynchronous components effectively. Such courses play a critical role in fostering meaningful professional development by addressing the unique needs of educators and their educational contexts. This article examines the essential considerations for creating an online learning environment that supports both theoretical understanding and practical application. Key aspects discussed include aligning learning objectives with interactive and engaging activities, leveraging accessible and user-friendly technological tools, and cultivating spaces for reflection, collaboration, and knowledge sharing among participants. The integration of synchronous sessions enables real-time interaction, fostering a sense of community and immediacy, while asynchronous components provide flexibility and opportunities for self-paced learning. Together, these elements ensure a balanced approach to teacher development. The article also highlights strategies for bridging theory and practice, ensuring that educators can apply course content to real-world classroom scenarios. These strategies include using case studies, project-based tasks, and reflective exercises tailored to the challenges teachers face in their practice. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of designing culturally and linguistically inclusive learning experiences that not only strengthen teachers' pedagogical and linguistic competencies, but also enhance their capacity to create effective language learning opportunities for students. By prioritizing sustainable and context-sensitive approaches, these courses can contribute significantly to improving language education outcomes. Furthermore, it follows Guskey (2002) in valuing the assessment of instances of professional development with a view to improvement.

Overt international policies of spreading English around the world have been illustrated to exist both as historical trends as well as current undertakings by English-speaking countries. However, the contemporary processes of implementing these policies are not widely researched. To investigate an actual instance of such processes, this study explored the implementation of a U.S.-funded program for teaching English in Morocco. We examined the experiences of a group of participants in the English Access Microscholarship Program (Access), specifically focusing on what they recalled as the main cultural elements imparted by the program through its contents and activities, and their reactions to these elements. Individual interviews were conducted with three Moroccan students, two teachers, and two administrators involved with Access. Qualitative data analysis through iterative coding procedures depicted different aspects of American culture presented through the program as well as the participants’ reactions as three emerging themes: “All about the US culture,” “I felt uncomfortable,” and “I feel grateful.” Discussing these findings, we argue that sociocultural awareness is needed on the part of not only the audiences of programs such as Access but also English language policy makers, teachers, and learners around the non-Anglophone world in general.

Aim: The present study assesses the knowledge of Assamese and English preschool teachers on gender education. Study Design: Exploratory research design. Place and Duration of Study: Conducted among preschool teachers from Assamese and English medium private schools in Jorhat, Assam, during the academic year 2023-2024. Methodology: The study included 100 preschool teachers with 50 teachers from both Assamese and English medium schools, and a self-developed scale, “Knowledge of Preschool Teachers on Gender Education” was administered with various sub-dimensions assessing the knowledge regarding gender education. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics to determine the mean, standard deviation, and levels of knowledge. Results: Both Assamese (Mean = 64.32) and English (Mean = 63.7) preschool teachers demonstrated a good knowledge regarding gender education, with no major difference between the groups. However, they demonstrate different understandings in the sub-dimensions regarding gender. Conclusion: The study highlights the need for professional training to enhance teachers’ confidence in imparting gender education. This study underscores the importance of foundational gender education in shaping individual identities as well as accelerating gender equity and inclusive human capital development by strengthening gender education in preschool curricula to foster equitable learning experiences for young children.

This study examines the vocabulary size and academic vocabulary depth knowledge among Thai pre-service English teachers, aiming to elucidate the relationship between these dimensions, which are essential for effective teaching. A total of 288 participants, aged 18 to 22, from three universities in northeastern Thailand, were assessed using two primary instruments: the Vocabulary Size Test (VST) and the Academic Vocabulary Knowledge Scale (AVKS). The VST measures participants' receptive vocabulary size through multiple-choice questions, while the AVKS evaluates participants' depth of knowledge regarding 16 specific academic words. To assess the validity and reliability of the measurement tools, Rasch analysis was employed, emphasizing four core principles: unidimensionality, local independence, reliability, and model-data fit. The findings reveal that participants demonstrate a moderate average understanding of academic vocabulary, with significant variability in the depth of knowledge across different words. Correlation analysis reveals a weak positive relationship between vocabulary size and academic vocabulary depth, indicating that as vocabulary size increases, academic vocabulary knowledge tends to improve, albeit modestly. Despite these findings, the results highlight the need for improved vocabulary teaching strategies to fully develop both dimensions in pre-service teachers, which is crucial for success in the academic and professional aspects of English language learning. The study offers valuable insights and underscores the importance of integrating both vocabulary size and depth into language education curricula.

This study aims to determine the effectiveness of flashcard games in improving the vocabulary mastery of seventh-grade students at SMPN 7 Palu. A quasi-experimental method with a pre-test and post-test control group design was employed. The participants consisted of two purposively selected classes: one serving as the experimental group, taught through flashcard games, and the other as the control group, receiving conventional instruction. Vocabulary tests were administered before and after the treatment to assess students’ improvement. The collected data were analysed using descriptive statistics and an independent-samples t-test at the 0.05 significance level. The findings revealed a significant difference between the post-test mean scores of the experimental group (79.42) and the control group (67.31), with a p-value of 0.000 (<0.05). These results indicate that the flashcard game effectively enhanced students’ vocabulary mastery. The use of visual and interactive media, such as flashcards, facilitated better word retention, understanding, and recall through dual coding of verbal and visual information. Moreover, the game-based activities increased students’ engagement and motivation during learning. In conclusion, flashcard games provide an effective and enjoyable medium for improving students’ English vocabulary mastery. It is recommended that English teachers integrate such interactive media into classroom instruction to foster more meaningful and engaging learning experiences.

Globalization has resulted in educational and commercial groups requiring their mentors and mentees to have an international outlook and be interculturally aware. Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students are often assigned the task of ensuring students are attuned to this fact and encouraged to bring intercultural training into their classrooms. Acclimatizing students to intercultural contact with international peers is now possible in foreign language classrooms. This study examines Indonesian students’ intercultural presence through an international Virtual Exchange (VE) being integrated into their university EFL course. The study is longitudinal as it followed a classroom, and the different participants therein, over a three-year period. A post-survey was used that included qualitative and quantitative data collection through Likert scale and open-ended questions. The surveys evince a deeper understanding of the students’ perspective of, and reactions to, their intercultural presence in the VE. Results were analyzed with mean scores and standard deviations of the Likert scales calculated and thematic analysis of the answers to the open-ended questions. Despite some challenges, results show students had a positive impression of participating in an international community of inquiry through the VE and appreciated its effect on their English language and intercultural competence development.

The study examines the effects of video content generation activities on EFL pre-service English language teachers’ foreign language speaking anxiety, perceived speaking self-efficacy, and willingness to communicate. The study used a sequential explanatory design of mixed research methods. In the quantitative phase of the study, a quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest control group was used, while the qualitative phase employed a case study approach. The quantitative phase of the study was conducted with 30 experimental and 32 control group students. The study employed the Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety Scale, the Speaking Skills Self-Efficacy Belief Scale, and the Instructional Willingness to Communicate Scale as data collection instruments. The data were analyzed using the ANCOVA test. In the qualitative phase, focus group interviews were conducted with 17 students from the experimental group using a semi-structured interview form. After eight weeks of implementation, moderately significant differences were found in favor of the experimental group on speaking. According to the qualitative findings, the participants attributed the observed changes in their motivation to frequent repetition, an increased sense of achievement in their knowledge and skills during the process, the presence of an online audience, and the development of in-class interactions. They also stated that the application fostered an environment conducive to assessment and feedback through online interactions.

Purpose This study aims to investigate Vietnamese teachers’ digital competence, specifically their ability and readiness to integrate educational technology into language teaching. Utilizing a qualitative lens, it seeks to uncover teachers’ lived experiences, highlighting both opportunities and challenges associated with technology integration in their pedagogical practices. By examining contextual factors such as professional development, infrastructure and institutional support, the study intends to generate empirical insights that address existing research gaps related to the localized experiences of Vietnamese English teachers. Ultimately, it provides evidence-based recommendations to inform policies and practices, fostering effective and sustainable technology-enhanced language teaching in Vietnamese educational contexts. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative study employs an interpretative phenomenological approach to explore the lived experiences of Vietnamese language teachers regarding educational technology integration. Data collection involved in-depth, semi-structured interviews with language teachers selected through purposive sampling, ensuring participants possessed relevant teaching experience and varied technology proficiency levels. Thematic analysis was utilized for data interpretation, guided by established frameworks such as the technological pedagogical content knowledge model. To ensure rigor, strategies such as member checking, reflexivity and researcher triangulation were implemented. Ethical considerations, including informed consent and confidentiality, were strictly observed to uphold participants’ anonymity and maintain the credibility and trustworthiness of the findings. Findings Findings reveal that teachers possess basic technological competencies and familiarity with common digital tools, but demonstrate limited adoption of advanced educational technologies. Key barriers identified include persistent technical issues, insufficient professional development, infrastructural limitations and inadequate institutional support. Teachers reported frustration from recurrent technical disruptions and limited training opportunities tailored to their practical classroom needs. Additionally, an absence of systematic professional guidance hindered strategic integration of innovative technologies. These constraints underscore the urgent need for comprehensive, targeted professional development, improved technological infrastructure and sustained institutional backing to facilitate meaningful, innovative and effective integration of technology into teaching practices. Originality/value This study provides significant localized empirical insights into Vietnamese teachers’ experiences with educational technology integration – an under-researched area in current EdTech literature. It highlights the specific challenges faced by language educators in Vietnam, offering a critical perspective on the urgent need for systematic institutional support and targeted professional development programs tailored to local contexts. By addressing these research gaps and offering concrete, actionable recommendations for policymakers, educators and administrators, the research contributes meaningfully to both national policy discourse and international scholarship, supporting practical advancements in sustainable, context-sensitive integration of technology into language education practices.

Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) has been recognized as an effective pedagogical approach that integrates students’ cultural backgrounds into the learning process, yet limited research in Indonesia has examined English teachers’ perceptions of CRT through a linguistic lens. This study explores how junior high school English teachers in Klaten perceive and discursively construct CRT in their classrooms. Employing a qualitative design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with six English teachers of diverse backgrounds, and analyzed using Miles and Huberman’s interactive model, focusing both on thematic content and linguistic markers such as lexical choices, metaphors, and stance-taking. The findings reveal three patterns of teachers’ understanding: some framed CRT as a teaching method, others as a broader educational approach, while one admitted unfamiliarity with the concept. These perceptions were linguistically constructed through markers of uncertainty (e.g., interrogatives, hedges), evaluative and metaphorical language (e.g., “learning asset”), and stance-taking devices that reflected confidence or hesitation. In implementation, teachers integrated CRT through project-based learning, local cultural narratives, and school routines, though coherence varied depending on their conceptual grounding. Obstacles included limited teacher competence, insufficient facilities, students’ cultural identity resistance to English, and low self-confidence, while strategies involved professional development, use of technology, relationship building, and material adaptation. The study concludes that teachers’ discourse both reflects and shapes their engagement with CRT, and that without strong theoretical foundations, practices risk remaining intuitive rather than systematic. It recommends strengthening professional development programs to combine theoretical understanding and practical strategies, thereby supporting more inclusive and culturally grounded English language teaching in Indonesia.

This paper presents a qualitative case study involving English language student teachers (STs) in Portugal, who participated in a program integrating Linguistic Landscapes (LLs) as a pedagogical tool. The study investigates how engaging with LLs supported the development of STs’ Critical Multilingual Language Awareness. Data were collected from whole-class discussions, written reflections and student-produced materials, and analyzed using content and discourse analysis. The results reveal that the program fostered a heightened awareness of the multilingual realities of public and educational spaces and encouraged STs to reflect critically on dominant language ideologies. Despite some tensions with curriculum constraints, participants increasingly envisioned their role as language educators in more inclusive and socially responsive terms. The study concludes that LLs can serve not only as objects of sociolinguistic inquiry but also as transformative resources in language teacher education, helping future teachers address linguistic and social inequalities and embrace multilingualism as a pedagogical asset in the EFL classroom.

This study explored the emotions experienced by two English teachers at a public university in Ecuador and how these emotions influence their teaching practice and professional well-being. Through interviews, observations, and visual narratives, both pleasant emotions such as enthusiasm and joy, and unpleasant emotions such as nervousness, frustration, sadness, and stress were identified. The teachers used various emotion regulation strategies, including breathing exercises and not taking situations personally, to maintain their resilience. While one teacher showed consistent emotional stability, both faced emotional challenges related to administrative responsibilities, family loss, and student behavior. The findings highlight the importance of acknowledging teachers’ emotional dimensions and supporting the development of skills to manage emotions in complex educational contexts with multiple demands.

ABSTRACT As language teacher educators, we studied how teachers in April's English as a Second Language (ESL) graduate‐level assessment course for practicing teachers planned to talk with families about ESL identification, including home language surveys (HLS). We studied how 30 mostly in‐service teachers planned to reassure families they had students' “best interest in mind,” a phrase problematic for its paternalistic overtones. We examined how teachers' underlying worldviews, or “figured worlds,” were present in their plans for parent conferences. We used qualitative and discourse analytic methods to explore: How do teachers consider students' best interest when planning family HLS conferences? What figured worlds are suggested in two focal teachers' plans to tell multilingual families that teachers have students' best interest in mind? We found teachers sometimes understood that not only teachers but families also wanted students' best interest. Additionally, teachers thought that if they reassured families and gave them information about ESL, then families would want ESL services. We closely examined two focal cases, illustrating how figured worlds shaped teachers' views of “best interest.” This study emphasized that educators need to hear from families how they view their students' interests and engage together in meaningful dialogue about ESL services.

This qualitative case study examines how the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach can be adapted to general English classes in a higher education institution in Timor-Leste to answer the long-standing question of how students can acquire speaking proficiency in a multilingual learning environment. The paper brings into focus the incorporation of CLT into classroom activities with special emphasis on the application of role play, pair work, seminars, simulations, and task-based learning as means of promoting interactive and communicative competence. A descriptive qualitative case study design was used to develop in-depth knowledge of contextual teaching and learning experiences, the perspectives of the participants, and naturally occurring practices in the institutional setting. Semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis were the data-gathering methods. Purposive sampling was used to select the two lecturers and seven students directly involved in teaching general English. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data, which made it possible to identify repeated themes and patterns that revealed both opportunities and difficulties in implementing CLT in context. The results of the study indicate that, despite the adaptation of the CTL approach in teaching practices, its implementation is often sporadic due to concerns about English proficiency, teacher training, and flexibility in using local and official languages during instruction. The research demonstrates the necessity of adapting CLT methods to the local education environment and arranging long-term professional development for lecturers. This study helps us understand how context-sensitive CLT approaches can lead to improved results in teaching and learning English in Timor-Leste. The interactive approach and the systematic teacher model could significantly improve students' communicative competence.

This study explored the underlying reasons behind communication apprehension English language graduate students of BS English Part One, Government College University, Hyderabad that is encountered while engaged in oral communication. The current research presents a qualitative understanding of the problem through semi-structured interviews with English language teachers who provide insights into pedagogical approaches and teaching practices that influence students’ oral communication skills also their involvement in academic activities. The teachers’ experiences reveal their perception and potential opportunities to develop their teaching strategies to account for the variety of students’ linguistic backgrounds and learning modalities. Informed by the teachers’ perceptions, the study proposes pedagogical strategies to address the issue of communication apprehension and enhance the oral English proficiency of students. Ultimately, these suggestions can be used to develop curricula and teaching approaches that help students overcome communication inhibitions and improve their academic and career outcomes. The current study contributes to the current understanding of language education and communication apprehension and serves as a basis for larger studies in the field with a focus on oral English communication in educational environments.

This study explores the emotional experiences of EFL pre service teachers in Ecuador during their professional practice, emphasizing the importance of emotional intelligence (EI) and emotional support in their development. Using a mixed-method approach, it combines a quantitative method (survey) and two qualitative methods (interviews and visual narratives such as memes) to understand how emotions affect their performance, motivation, and professional identity formation. The results show that students face a variety of emotions, both pleasant and unpleasant, related to pedagogical challenges, uncertainty, and pressure, aspects that can influence their well-being and teaching effectiveness. The research shows that developing EI is key to managing these emotions, reducing stress, and strengthening resilience, aspects that are limited by the lack of emotional support spaces in internships. In addition, it reflects the necessity to incorporate strategies such as peer support, creative reflective activities, and training in social-emotional skills into teacher training programs.

This case study examines the connection between emotional intelligence (EI) and pre-service teachers' beliefs about English language learning within an Ecuadorian context. 317 participants enrolled in an undergraduate English teacher training program completed two validated instruments: The Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire—Short Form (TEIQue-SF) and the Beliefs About Language Learning Inventory (BALLI). Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and linear regression analyses were performed to explore potential relationships. Results showed no statistically significant correlation between emotional intelligence and beliefs about English learning (r = 0.020, p = 0.730), and regression analysis confirmed that EI did not predict BALLI scores. Subscale-level analysis revealed no significant associations, although minor trends were observed between emotionality and motivational beliefs. These findings contrast with previous studies indicating positive links between EI and learner beliefs, suggesting that contextual, curricular, and institutional factors may have a greater influence on shaping pre-service teachers' cognition. The study contributes to the current debate about teacher training emphasizing the limited impact of EI on belief systems and advocating for more comprehensive training integrating cognitive, emotional, and reflective components. Limitations include the sample s demographic homogeneity and the lack of qualitative data. Future research should include diverse contexts and mixed methods to further investigate these relationships.

In this article, as white English teachers at a federal public university in Brazil, we problematize how we have constructed our processes of racialization in our life histories, and how these processes relate to the praxiologies and curricula we experience. Allied with authors such as bell hooks (1994), Cida Bento (2022), Djamila Ribeiro (2019), Jacira Monteiro (2023), Gabriel Nascimento (2019), Esau MacCaulley (2021), among others, in this duo(auto)ethnography (Sawyer & Norris, 2016) we discuss the tensions we feel in our attempts to (re)position ourselves in relation to racial inequalities and how we are implicated in them by our own privileges. We expose ourselves at the risk of criticism as we attempt to generate new possibilities and search for new ways of building antiracist praxis in the areas of critical language education and language teacher education. We attempt to break the comfortable silences that, many times, white people tend to maintain regarding racism in Brazil and show how contextual and contingent antiracist pedagogies are.