Foreign Language Context Research Articles

The effects of mobile-assisted concept mapping on EFL learners’ writing fluency and motivation

Writing and its role in English as a foreign language (EFL) context has been one of the primary areas of focus for many years. The present study examined the effects of mobile-based concept mapping on EFL learners’ writing fluency and motivation. To fulfill the objective, 70 upper-intermediate level Persian EFL learners were assigned into one experimental and one control conditions, each including 35 participants. The experimental condition’s participants received instruction through mobile-based concept mapping while the students of the control condition did not receive any instruction and were just required to discuss the topics and write about them traditionally. The findings of the study revealed that mobile-mediated concept mapping was effective for EFL students’ writing fluency. Moreover, the results indicated that mobile-based concept mapping was beneficial for learners’ writing motivation.

An Investigation into Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Context

Using data from Bibliometrix and Web of Science, this study examined articles in the subject of language and linguistics that dealt with artificial intelligence (AI). The study used bibliometrics to uncover historical trends in AI in EFL. The study utilized Biblioshiny, a web-based tool in the bibliometrix package that analyses bibliographic database data, to examine downloaded Web of Science (WoS) data. The Bibliometrix R Package and Biblioshiny software created tables and graphs. The study searched the WoS website for studies with "Artificial Intelligence (AI)" in the title, abstract, and keywords to find bibliographic data. From 2013 to 2023, WoS focused on Language and Linguistics in Language Education. There were 1693 EFL AI papers. The study chose open-access publications to read the entire text. The present analysis examined 177 publications. Different bibliometric analysis techniques were employed to get the most usable data from research publications. Authors, publishing years, universities, countries, preferred journals, trendy topics, and keyword citation rates were all considered in the analysis. Findings showed an increase in publications over time and a growing interest in AI. Leading universities and prominent authors were identified. Depending on the country, different levels of engagement were observed. The distribution of data was provided via preferred journals. This study helps researchers and decision-makers evaluate AI research in language and linguistics.

Correlation factors of translanguaging practices on English as a Foreign Language Contexts: the perception of Teachers

Teaching English in second language contexts seems to have succeeded in implementing only target-language policy allowed during class time. However, the problem persists in teaching English in foreign language contexts where English is not the official and/or first language in those countries. Such situations kept the question unanswered; whether the first language of the target learners should be used during class times in the form of translanguaging or not. While few studies have investigated this issue thoroughly; however very a few of them examined in depth analysis from different perspectives such as: how different factors paly various roles on this issue, how those factors correlate to each other, and how they relate to translanguaging in particular. This study investigates the correlations between translanguaging practices in English as a foreign language context during class time from teachers’ perspectives. Correlation, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and regression analyses showed that there was significant correlation between translanguaging practices and other examined independent variables including gender, same background between teachers and learners’ and first language; whereas no significant correlation was found regarding the teaching experience. The study recommends evaluating learners’ levels even if the focus of the study was on teachers’ perceptions for future research.

Challenges of Writing in Arabic as a Foreign Language Context: Case of the Spanish School in Rabat

“Learning to write coherently... is something which many people never manage in their first language [and] the process is every bit as difficult in a second language” (Nunan, 1991, p.99). As such, interest in writing amongst applied linguists has increased quite importantly during the last two or three decades; soon, the discipline has rapidly and “clearly come of age thanks to the launch of several firsts in L2 writing” (Leki, Cumming & Silva, 2008, p.1). It is within this context and with the objective to uncover what challenges learners of Arabic as a foreign language (AFL) face while learning Arabic writing that this qualitative corpus study was conducted. Three prevalent challenges emerged: one was the students’ difficulty to spell Arabic words correctly; another emanated from their overall inability to learn the common Arabic order of syntactic constituents; and the other had to do with the challenge to write well-organized Arabic paragraphs.

Awareness of Politeness Maxim in An Efl Context: A Case in Libya

Since the beginning of our societies, politeness has been the target of criticism. This criticism begins as early as childhood, and as a direct result, the politeness maxim has developed into an interesting topic of conversation. When we are acting or speaking, we must treat everyone politely. This obligation exists regardless of the context. We can maintain a polite manner in our vocal expressions even though our intentions are not particularly good for the people we speak with. For example, we must respect other people's perspectives, even if we vehemently disagree with them. Within the context of this piece, Leech's aphorisms act as the cornerstone upon which an investigation of civility is built. He recommended six distinct groups of etiquette maxims and provided examples for each. The primary focus of this research is on the extent to which university students in Libya studying English as a foreign language are aware of the need to maintain good manners. According to the abstract, the study's goal is to explore the level of knowledge held by Arab-Libyan and Amazigh-Libyan EFL students about the speech act of politeness maxim. This investigation will be carried out to determine the amount of knowledge possessed by these students. In the classroom of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), which serves as a learning environment? Because utterances must sound universal and acceptable to contemporary culture, the research recommends investigating the approval and agreement maxim in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context. This is because these maxims make ethical sense in education.

Integrating Technology into Language Teaching Practice in the Post-COVID-19 Pandemic Digital Age: From a Korean English as a Foreign Language Context

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a transformation in the traditional teaching practices of language classrooms in the post-COVID-19 pandemic digital age. The surge of innovative pedagogical resources and options has played a significant role in this transformation. The integration of digital technology has been recognized as a crucial means of promoting digital literacy, which is regarded as an essential skill in the current climate. In the realm of language education, this paradigm shift has encouraged educators to adopt new technological components and incorporate them into their course contents and activities to cater to the needs of the new digital generation of learners. The purpose of this study is to identify the impact of integrating social networking services such as KakaoTalk and YouTube into mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) in supporting Korean English as a foreign language (EFL) university students’ language learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilizing a mixed-methods research design, the study gathered quantitative and qualitative data through survey questionnaire, online interview and interactive presentation tool. The result of this study revealed that the integration of social networks and MALL could support EFL university students’ language learning experience and boost students’ motivation and engagement in their learning process. This study also suggested that the concept of MALL could contribute to cultivating positive dynamics of classroom interaction. The findings of the study highlight the benefits of incorporating technology in language education and the importance of adapting teaching methods to meet the evolving needs of learners in a rapidly changing post-COVID-19 pandemic digital landscape.

A Ten-Year Bibliometric Analysis of E-Learning in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Context

This bibliometric study offers a comprehensive overview of e-learning research landscape in English as a foreign language (EFL) context, including the publication trend, country contributions and collaboration, productive authors and journals, and key topics of interest. Through a thorough review of 602 documents extracted from the Scopus database from 2013-2022 using VOSviewer, Excel, and Tableau, the study reveals a significant increase in e-learning publications since 2020, with China, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia emerging as the leading contributors and collaborators. The study further identifies the most productive authors and journals and highlights six key topics, including the effectiveness of e-learning, learners' perceptions, mobile learning, e-education during COVID-19, Chinese EFL teachers, and teacher education. The study provides innovative insights for EFL practitioners, researchers, and policymakers, and contributes to the general knowledge about the hotspots and frontiers of literature in the e-learning landscape of the EFL context.

Logico-semantic relations between spoken text and slides’ visual elements in student presentations conducted online in the English as a Foreign Language context

Student presentations conducted with the help of PowerPoint represent communicative events that are inherently multimodal by incorporating visuals on slides accompanied by spoken commentary. However, despite their ubiquity in higher education, few studies have investigated the rhetorical relations between their auditory and visual modes. This study attempts to address this gap by applying theoretical frameworks for logico-semantics and image–text relations to student presentations conducted online at a private university in Japan. Analysis of over 5 hours of recorded data revealed how clauses in students’ spoken commentary related to visible entities on the screen primarily through exposition and, to a lesser extent, specification, summary, extension and enhancement. A further comparison of different stages within the presentations showed that summary and expansion played a bigger role whenever students provided background information or concluded the presentation. Further, qualitative discussion on selected excerpts sheds light on how the reading path alternated between exposition of visual text through repetition or synonymy and embellishment through specification or enhancement. However, comparing students also indicated that genre-specifics are not yet established for all students. The selection and configuration of logico-semantic relations influenced how slides compensated for verbal deficiencies, which has implications for the English as a Foreign Language context.

Winter is coming? University teachers' and students' views on the value of learning English in China

AbstractChina released two new policies in 2021, the ‘double reduction’ and a Gaokao (National College Entrance Examination) regulation, which have significantly impacted English learning and Languages other than English (LOTEs) learning respectively. This has intensified the existing dispute over ‘English fever’ and made people question whether the ‘winter’ of English education in China has come. In this article, findings from a multiple‐case study exploring teachers' and students' opinions on the value of English learning in Chinese higher education are discussed under the circumstances of such new policies. This study employs the Bourdieusian approach and involves English major, non‐English major learners as well as their teachers in Yunnan and Shanghai, two socio‐economically different areas, to see diversity. The participants reported a cooling down of the ‘English fever’ in the universities and the wider society, yet an increasing demand for a higher level of English proficiency in particular industries or disciplines. The findings also demonstrate the tension between the standardised national curriculum and regionally different language needs along with the influence of an incoherent national curricula for different educational stages regarding foreign language education. This paper concludes with suggestions to modify the curriculum and teaching practices for multilingual and English for Specific Purposes (ESP) education in China as well as other English as a Foreign Language contexts. Context and implications Rationale for this study The ‘double reduction’ and the new Gaokao regulation have a top‐down effect on English learning and the learning of LOTEs in China, while individual stakeholders' opinions have drawn little attention. Why the new findings matter This study provides a timely insight into English teachers' and learners' changes in thinking against the backdrop of recent policy changes. Implications for English teachers and policy makers This research revealed a trend away from the English‐only approach towards multilingual learning along with an increasing demand for ESP teaching and learning. English teachers can draw on the findings to design ESP pedagogical activities to accommodate their students' demands. This study also presents a refreshing new perspective on the curriculum by identifying the inconsistency in the national curriculum about foreign language subjects and the tension between the standardised national curriculum and regionally different language needs. Policy makers are suggested to use the findings to improve the curriculum for the greater continuity of language learning and the greater satisfaction of learners' demands.

Examining the effects of teacher self-compassion, emotion regulation, and emotional labor strategies as predictors of teacher resilience in EFL context.

This study investigates the effects of teacher self-compassion, emotion regulation, and emotional labor strategies on teacher resilience in the English as a foreign language (EFL) context. The study aims to understand the relationships between these variables and their potential implications for promoting teacher resilience. A sample of 711 Chinese EFL teachers participated in the study. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to assess the psychometric properties of the instruments used to measure teacher self-compassion, emotion regulation, emotional labor strategies, and teacher resilience. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to examine the relationships between these variables. The results of the study revealed that teacher self-compassion and emotional labor strategies had direct positive effects on teacher resilience. Specifically, higher levels of self-compassion and effective use of emotional labor strategies were associated with greater teacher resilience. Furthermore, teacher emotion regulation was found to indirectly predict teacher resilience through the mediation of emotional labor strategies. This suggests that the ability to regulate emotions influences the adoption of effective emotional labor strategies, which in turn contributes to higher levels of teacher resilience. The findings of this study highlight the importance of teacher self-compassion, emotion regulation, and emotional labor strategies in promoting teacher resilience in the EFL context. Interventions aimed at enhancing teacher emotional regulation skills and fostering self-compassion may have significant implications for supporting teachers in managing the demands and challenges of their profession, ultimately enhancing their resilience. These findings contribute to the understanding of factors that can promote teacher resilience and inform the development of targeted interventions in the EFL context.

The Perceptions of University English Teachers in Japan about Teaching English as an International Language

This study investigated the perceptions of English teachers teaching English as an international language (EIL) at Japanese universities through a focus group interview. Eight experienced full-time English teachers at a medium-sized comprehensive university in western Japan shared their thoughts on the ownership of English, the varieties of Englishes, raising students’ awareness, pronunciation models, and cultural input in the English classroom. Most teachers believed that English, which exists in many varieties, no longer belongs to any English-speaking country. Furthermore, they preferred letting their students experience various Englishes in the classroom. But they had diverging opinions on pronunciation models and most leant towards intercultural competence when asked about cultural input in the English classroom. Study results provide some pedagogical implications for English educators, especially in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context, and directions for further studies.

Balancing being a ‘good teacher’ and a ‘motivating teacher of English’: Analysing the sense of professional responsibility of pre-service EFL teachers

The professional responsibility of teachers has been primarily understood in international literature in terms of external obligations, primarily from an accountability perspective. Alternatively, more recent approaches have begun to propose that teacher responsibility is more appropriately understood as an internal drive toward their work and its contribution to broader social development, which is seen as crucial to the design of effective pedagogical practices. However, within this continuing dialogue, limited attention has been given to how professional responsibility develops and is nurtured within the unique contexts of English language teacher education. This mixed-method study investigated the sense of professional responsibility held by pre-service teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) context, framed by an online survey ( n = 611) based on a teacher responsibility scale and a series of semi-structured interviews ( n = 17). Results demonstrated that there was a comparatively higher sense of responsibility felt in two critical areas: building positive student relationships and ensuring an equitable classroom and society. However, lower levels of responsibility were demonstrated toward the discipline-specific issues of encouraging student engagement, student motivation or success in learning English. This suggests a critical tension that develops in the sense of pre-service teacher responsibility between the abstract and affective notion of being the ‘good teacher’ and the more concrete objectives of building learning environments for language development.

Metacognition in Language Learning among Non-English-major Tertiary Students

Metacognition is has been shown to play an important role in students’ academic success and in their language learning process in particular. Therefore, it should be fostered among language learners. The present study sought to explore metacognition including metacognitive knowledge and metacognitive skills among non-English-major university students in the Vietnamese context. Questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were employed to collect data in a convergent parallel design of mixed methods research. A total of 1,565 undergraduates from seven public universities completed the surveys, 13 of which participated in the interviews. The findings indicated a high level of consistency between two types of data and showed that the students had sound metacognitive knowledge of the self and the learning context. However, they lacked metacognitive knowledge of the language matters and the learning process and were not proficient in metacognitive skills (i.e., planning, monitoring, and evaluating). Moreover, there were significant differences in metacognitive knowledge and metacognitive skills in terms of gender and years of study. Metacognitive skills were significantly different in terms of marks in the previous English course. but not in terms of metacognitive knowledge among students. Accordingly, the study put forward several important implications at macro-, meso-, and micro-levels to contribute to the improvement of metacognition among English as a foreign language learners in the Vietnamese context as well as the other international English as a foreign language context.

Assessing self-regulated writing strategies, self-efficacy, task complexity, and performance in English academic writing

The present study focused on the assessment of how task complexity and learner variables (English proficiency level, self-regulated writing strategies, and writing self-efficacy belief) influence English academic writing for students in a foreign language context. The participants were 270 students from a medium-sized university in China. All participants completed measures on self-regulated writing strategies, self-efficacy, and an academic writing test. Guided research questions aimed to explore the extent to which task complexity and English proficiency level influenced writing performance along with how learners’ self-efficacy and self-regulated writing strategies mediated the role of task complexity in academic writing performance. Structural equation modelling results showed that task complexity and English proficiency level influenced learners’ writing performance. Self-efficacy beliefs and the use of self-regulated writing strategies mediated the role of task complexity on academic writing performance. Implications related to the assessment of task complexity, self-regulated writing strategies, self-efficacy, and academic writing were discussed.

TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION BELIEFS AND PRACTICES OF TURKISH NOVICE EFL TEACHERS AFTER ONLINE PRACTICUM

Although technology is a vital part of 21st-century education, teachers in English as a foreign language (EFL) contexts face challenges when using digital tools in their teaching. Studies have been conducted with in-service teachers to understand their beliefs and practices with digital learning of English. However, there is a gap in the literature about investigating the technology integration beliefs and practices of newly graduated EFL teachers who experienced online teaching practice during their pre-service education. Thus, this study aimed to investigate how novice teachers’ online practicum affects their teaching with technology in face-toface classrooms. To this end, this study adopted a qualitative case study research design and collected data through six open-ended questions from 20 Turkish novice EFL teachers who received their teaching practice and school experience courses online and conducted semi-structured interviews with 5 participants. The thematic analysis of the data showed that the participants were aware of the importance of technology use, and their online teaching practice experience helped them get familiar with teaching English with digital tools before graduating. However, the lack of resources and support in their current face-to-face teaching contexts prevented them from using technology. The findings revealed that teacher education programs should offer updated content and opportunities for creating digital material to prepare EFL teachers for the future.

THE USE OF TED TALKS VIDEOS AS LEARNING MATERIALS IN AN INTERMEDIATE LISTENING CLASS IN A PRIVATE UNIVERSITY IN YOGYAKARTA

Listening has a crucial role in developing communication skills in English as Foreign Language (EFL) context. Facilitating EFL listening activities can be conducted by using various resources such as online video providers, interactive websites, and web-based podcasts.TED Talk is one of the online video series that can be used for undergraduate students to develop their listening comprehension in learning EFL. This study aimed to investigate the use of TED Talk videos in developing EFL listening comprehension and the benefits of listening to TED Talk videos. The study was conducted in an Intermediate Listening Class at a Private University in Yogyakarta. The research subjects were 27 students. The researchers collected data by distributing questionnaires and conducting in-depth interviews with the students. Purpose sampling was employed to result in 3 students. Four students with the highest and lowest results were chosen to be examined thoroughly. The result showed that TED Talk videos helped to develop EFL listening comprehension even though not significant. Listening to TED Talk videos can also motivate undergraduate students to learn English, and can enrich the students’ general knowledge.

Translating Willingness to Communicate into Learner Talk in a Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) Classroom

Cumulative research has explored willingness to communicate (WTC) in English as a second language and English as a foreign language contexts, but few have looked at the interface between WTC and learner talk from a Chinese learning perspective. This study investigates how six multilingual and multicultural students’ WTC translates into talk in a Chinese as a foreign language classroom in a highly internationalised Scottish University. Specifically, it examines what factors play a part in translating WTC into talk and how such factors enable or impede the process. It adopts a qualitative multiple-case study approach comprising high-density monthly triangulations of classroom observations, learner journals, video-stimulated recall interviews and semi-structured interviews conducted over one academic year. Findings revealed 13 learner-internal and learner-external factors which engage with one another to form various interactional patterns. Adapting to such interactional patterns, the six students’ WTC was found to self-organise into and out of attractor states in which the students were either pro-talk or against-talk. This empirically attests that the WTC-talk realisation exhibits dynamism, non-linearity, self-organisation, co-adaptability, and dependence on initial states and context. Recurring interactional patterns were identified as characterising each student’s successes or failures in realising talk. Pedagogical implications are also provided in light of the findings.

The Implementation of Songs for Listening and Speaking Activities for Eleventh Graders in SMAN 1 Lawang

Song is an interesting medium for teaching English in a foreign language context. Through songs, students can learn new vocabulary, the grammar, and the idiomatic expression in an authentic way. The purpose of this paper are 1) to investigate the implementation of songs for listening and speaking activity; 2) to identify the students’ and teacher's problems and solutions in using songs for listening and speaking activities, and 3) to investigate how the students’ listening and speaking activities are assessed through the use of songs. The design of the study is a mixed method explanatory sequential design. The data was firstly collected from the questionnaire and followed with an interview. The researchers used a convenient sampling method because of its accessibility and availability. The targeted population was the eleventh graders of SMA N 1 Lawang. The sample was the 6th parallel class of science major, and the 3rd Social Science major. The total respondents were 34 students. The result shows that the listening activities of song selection and its comprehension were done at home, while the speaking activity in song interpretation was done in the classroom. The finding also reveals that many students had no problem in the listening comprehension, especially in the accent and pronunciation (41.2%). Some students had grammar, pronunciation, self-confidence, and lack of vocabulary problems in interpreting songs orally even though half of the students were in a neutral position. The solutions for their listening problems, among others, are finding difficult words in the dictionary, memorizing the words and the songs, and listening to native speakers' speech and dialogs from movies and YouTube. While for the speaking problems, the solutions are to have a lot of practice with friends and native speakers, joining speech competitions, and singing English songs. The students' performance in listening and speaking skills were assessed by using scoring rubric prepared by the teachers.

Digital Games and Second Language Learning among Tertiary-level EFL Learners: A Critical Review

Despite the increased interest in the possibilities of digital games in second language education, their use in higher education is a relatively uncharted territory. This review was carried out to examine how digital game-based language learning is used, and what its effects are on language learners at tertiary level in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts. Twenty-seven studies were short-listed from academic literature and were analysed for research methodology, theoretical frameworks, research foci, game types and specifications, research results, and pedagogical implications. The research revealed six types of digital games, each with its own affordances that could enhance language learning. It was also found that these games increased vocabulary uptake and long-term lexical retention, enhanced L2 reading and listening comprehension, fostered writing ability and communicative competence, and increased motivation and willingness to communicate in the L2. Therefore, it may be deduced that digital games can be employed as a beneficial tool for the development of L2 competence and for the enrichment of the language learning experience. Suggestions for further research and educational implications have been provided.

Living as an Avtar: EFL Learners’ Attitudes towards Utilizing Second Life Virtual Learning

In the foreign language context, little research has been undertaken to explore university students’ attitudes towards virtual learning for language instruction. The purpose of this study was to investigate EFL learners’ attitudes toward utilizing the Second Life virtual world as an online instructional and language learning tool. To achieve the study purposes, a descriptive research design was used with a questionnaire to gather data, after ensuring its validity and reliability. Forty-one undergraduates who were enrolled in two CALL classes at a school of education participated in the study. Overall, the results suggest that the majority of EFL undergraduates have favorable attitudes toward using virtual games and that the use of Second Life served well as an online instructional tool for language learning. Based on the results of the current study, EFL instructors may be encouraged to integrate virtual world games to augment their students’ learning by providing them paths to engage in authentic communication with the target language users. Further, the integration of virtual learning is a promising alternative in times of pandemics when social distancing is an obligation. Such ends require that instructors plan some virtual world-based tasks of a goal-driven nature. Further research directions include implementing qualitative tools to explore how learners react to the nature of virtual world games, specifically in relation to the users’ ability to claim different identities.