Intermediate English As A Foreign Language Learners Research Articles

Interplay of academic emotion regulation, academic mindfulness, L2 learning experience, academic motivation, and learner autonomy in intelligent computer-assisted language learning: A study of EFL learners

In the evolving landscape of second language (L2) education, Intelligent Computer-Assisted Language Learning (ICALL) stands out as a transformative force with the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Despite its growing prominence, integrating cognitive and affective constructs such as academic emotion regulation and mindfulness remains underexplored in ICALL environments. This study addresses this gap by examining their interplay with L2 learning experience, academic motivation, and learner autonomy among Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. Drawing on data from 398 intermediate EFL learners, this research utilized a comprehensive array of validated instruments, including the Academic Emotional Regulation Questionnaire, the Langer Mindfulness Scale, the L2 Learning Experience Scale, the Academic Motivation Scale, and the Learner Autonomy Questionnaire. Structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed significant correlations, indicating that academic emotion regulation positively influences L2 learning experience, academic motivation, and learner autonomy within ICALL settings. Furthermore, academic mindfulness emerged as a robust predictor of these educational outcomes in ICALL environments. These findings underscore the pivotal role of ICALL in L2 education and offer practical insights for teachers, curriculum developers, and policymakers to enhance teaching and learning practices.

Digital communication activities and EFL learners' willingness to communicate and engagement: Exploring the intermediate language learners’ perceptions

EFL/ESL teachers have used digital communication activities to teach language skills. However, the effect of digital communication activities on EFL learners' Willingness to Communicate (WTC) in classrooms and learner engagement has yet to be well investigated. This study examined the influence of digital communication activities on the engagement and willingness to communicate of intermediate English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. It also assessed the potential advantages of integrating digital communication into language learning contexts. A mixed-methods approach involving pretest-posttest comparisons and qualitative interviews was employed. In the quantitative phase, four intact classes of 80 intermediate Chinese EFL learners were recruited and assigned to control and experimental groups. They attempted the scales (WTC and engagement) before and after treatment. However, 20 EFL learners exposed to digital communication activities were interviewed. The research revealed notable enhancements in affective, cognitive, and behavioral engagement among the experimental group. Moreover, a substantial positive effect on EFL learners' willingness to communicate was observed, particularly in speaking, writing, reading, and comprehension activities. Findings have practical implications for EFL teachers and learners to use digital communication activities to enhance the learners' WTC in the classroom and different aspects of engagement.

The Effectiveness of an Interactive WhatsApp Bot on Listening Skills

The present paper attempted to measure the effectiveness of an interactive WhatsApp bot on the listening skills of Omani English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. For this purpose, 40 Omani intermediate EFL learners were divided into two groups: a control and an experimental in a higher education institution. A pretest was conducted to ensure the homogeneity of listening skills among all the participants. While both groups received instructions and exercises on listening in class, an interactive WhatsApp bot was designed for the experimental group to receive more instructions and training without time and place limitations. Later, a posttest and a delayed posttest were conducted to compare learners’ performance. The study results showed smooth progress of both groups in listening exams during the posttest and delayed posttest; however, the experimental group’s performance was significantly high. The findings of the study are efficacious and helpful for teachers and learners.

Wow, I cannot stop: a concentration on vocabulary learning via instagram and its effects on informal digital learning of english, technostress, and on-line engagement

The proliferation of social media in contemporary society presents a compelling impetus for scholars to explore the untapped capabilities of social networking platforms with the aim of enhancing educational practices. Despite the notable impact of social media on the acquisition of second or foreign languages, there is a scarcity of empirical research investigating the influence of Instagram feed-based activities on the development of vocabulary in language learning at under-intermediate level. In order to address this research gap, the present study aimed to investigate the impact of Instagram feed-based activities on the acquisition of vocabulary among individuals studying English as a foreign language (EFL). As a result, a cohort of 79 intermediate EFL learners was subjected to random assignment, leading to the formation of both experimental and control groups. The participants in the control group were provided with conventional online teaching using webinar platforms. The participants in the experimental group, on the other hand, were instructed via the use of webinar platforms and were required to participate in exercises that were based on Instagram feeds respectively. The results of the data analysis using one-way Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) revealed that the learners in the experimental group (EG) demonstrated superior performance compared to their counterparts in the control group (CG). The findings underscored the notable impact of using Instagram feed-based activities in promoting the acquisition of vocabulary knowledge. Additionally, it was shown that EFL learners had favorable views towards the use of Instagram Feed-based Tasks for the purpose of learning vocabulary. Due to treatment, EG achieved higher state in informal digital learning of English and on-line engagement. Moreover, they felt less technostress after treatment. The findings of this research have potential consequences for language learners, instructors, curriculum designers, and policy makers. Specifically, they suggest that incorporating Instagram feed-based activities into language learning and teaching may provide valuable chances for further practice.

One size fits all? The role of task complexity in L2 production via the audio chat

The pervasive use of information and computer technology in second or foreign language learning has led researchers to explore the ideal tasks for technological environments to facilitate second language (L2) learning. This study intended to contribute new knowledge to this area by examining the effects of the task complexity manipulated along the variable +-few elements in Robinson’s Cognition Hypothesis on L2 production of 42 lower intermediate Chinese EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners who completed two interactive tasks (simple versus complex) in dyads via audio chat of the video-conferencing platform WeMeet in a laboratory setting. Participants were also instructed to measure the difficulty of the tasks by responding to a self-rating questionnaire immediately after they completed each task. Their L2 output in the two tasks were recorded, transcribed and coded in three dimensions namely, syntactic complexity, lexical complexity and accuracy. SPSS 26 was used for statistical analyses. The results revealed that increasing task complexity induced significantly more lexically complex language. However, it did not result in significant changes in terms of syntactic complexity or accuracy of learners’ L2 output via audio chat. These results contradicted the predictions of the Cognition Hypothesis, suggesting the inapplicability of Cognition Hypothesis in audio chat.

On the relationship between mobile-based extramural activities and vocabulary development of EFL learners: a mixed-method study

Mobile-based extramural English (EE) activities, including watching movies, playing digital games, and listening to music outside the classroom, have played an important role in increasing learners' interest in English as a foreign language (EFL). This mixed-method design study aimed to investigate the role of EE activities in the vocabulary development of intermediate EFL learners. The study included a group of 60 learners, including 30 male and 30 female students from two language institutes. A pretest, posttest, and delayed posttest were used. The experimental group utilized WhatsApp to receive electronic vocabulary instruction four days per week for two months as part of the EE activities. In contrast, the control group received classroom instruction using the conventional approach typically employed in EFL contexts for teaching the same textbook vocabulary. A semi-structured interview was conducted to investigate the participants' beliefs regarding their preference for EE-based activities. The results of the EG group revealed that EE-based activities significantly impacted the students' vocabulary learning (p < 0.001). The findings also revealed no significant differences in vocabulary knowledge between male and female students after using EE activities (p = 0.34). The themes that emerged from the qualitative phase suggested that participants preferred EE-based activities as they can result in less mental stress, more vocabulary learning, improved conversation, and improved pronunciation and grammar. Also, the participants preferred various mobile-based EE activities, including watching movies, listening to music, playing multiple games, watching cartoons, and focusing on movie subtitles, which resulted in their vocabulary development. The findings call for language educators to integrate more virtual and online-based EE activities to supplement traditional vocabulary teaching practices.

Foreign language enjoyment, ideal L2 self, and intercultural communicative competence as predictors of willingness to communicate among EFL learners

The aim of this research was set to test a model of willingness to communicate (WTC) based on ideal L2 self, foreign language enjoyment (FLE), and intercultural communicative competence (ICC) among English as a foreign language (EFL) learners. To this end, 601 intermediate EFL learners volunteered to take part in an online survey by completing the scales of the four latent constructs. A two-stage structural equation modelling was used to analyze the collected data. Results of the data analysis indicated that ideal L2 self, ICC, and FLE directly predicted L2 WTC. Additionally, ICC and FLE mediated the relationships between ideal L2 self and L2 WTC. Also, FLE had a direct influence on ICC. These findings may provide important implications for EFL teachers.

On the construct and perceptual validity measures of L1-based vs. L2-based elicitation as a measure of L2 classroom performance assessment

This study aimed at investigating the English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ perceptions of L1-based and L2-based elicitations in the English classroom employing an explanatory sequential mixed-method design. Ninety-seven Iranian intermediate EFL learners of English have been selected from Islamic Azad University (Science and Research Branch) in Tehran Province using a convenient sampling method. Of these, in the qualitative phase, 15 individuals were selected through a convenience sampling method as the focus group (N = 15; n = 8 for the L1 group and n = 7 for the L2 group). In the quantitative phase, 90 intermediate EFL learners were selected. The selected participants’ L2 performances were assessed through L1-based and L2-based elicitation techniques. They completed two validated researcher-made questionnaires to capture their perceptions of the elicitation techniques. Accordingly, five separate exploratory factor analyses were run to investigate the underlying constructs of the five components of the L1-based and L2-based perception questionnaires, the results of which showed that the correlation matrices were not singular and there were perfect correlations among all variables of L1-based and L2-based perception questionnaires. The findings show that the majority of respondents prefer to use their L2 in speaking classes and believe that L2 should be the prior language in general speaking classes. More than two-thirds of the respondents prefer to use L2 when they want to communicate with each other inside and outside of the classroom and prefer to use L2 in doing their assignments or performing orally in class. More than half of the respondents prefer to use L2 in assessment sessions.

Investigating the effectiveness of blended learning in reading proficiency: Evidence from intermediate EFL learners

As an alternative solution to solve different reading comprehension problems in learning English as a foreign language (EFL), it is necessary to implement a blended learning model that combines both online and face-to-face (f2f) teaching modes. This study aimed at investigating the impact of blended learning on Iranian intermediate EFL learners’ reading proficiency. Sixty EFL learners were chosen based on their performance on Oxford Placement Test. Then, they were divided into two groups (an experimental and a control group). The experimental group received reading materials through blending learning techniques and the control group received training in the traditional way. During treatment, the teacher designed and assigned activities for students to read the text effectively and reinforce their comprehension. The activities were designed to teach reading like scanning, skimming, and reading for accurate comprehension. Afterward, both groups participated in the reading post-test at the end of the study. The results showed that the experimental group outperformed the control group in the post-test of reading comprehension and the intra-group progress was higher for the experimental group than the control group.

Factors Affecting Pronunciation Accuracy in English as a Foreign Language: The Case of Spanish-Catalan Intermediate Learners

In the present study, we investigate the factors that influence pronunciation accuracy by Spanish-Catalan bilinguals learning English as a foreign language (EFL). A group of intermediate EFL learners were recorded producing a series of cognate and non-cognate words in two different conditions: a reading aloud task and a delayed repetition task. In the reading aloud task, the target words were presented as visual prompts in a carrier phrase. In the delayed repetition, words were presented aurally and participants repeated them after a two-second delay followed by an audio prompt. The words were phonemically transcribed using PHON. As expected, task condition and cognate-status influenced the percentage of correct vowels and consonants. The number of errors was significantly higher in the reading aloud condition than in the delayed repetition condition. Cognates exhibited more pronunciation errors than non-cognates. In contrast, learners’ vocabulary-size and lexical frequency did not have a clear impact on the results. These findings suggest that focusing on spelling might interfere with the way EFL learners process the phonological forms of words.

The impacts of performance-based assessment on reading comprehension achievement, academic motivation, foreign language anxiety, and students’ self-efficacy

The types of assessment tasks affect the learners’ psychological well-being and the process of learning. For years, educationalists were in search of finding and implementing accurate and convenient approaches to assess learners efficiently. Despite the significant role of performance-based assessment (PBA) in affecting second/foreign language (L2) learning processes, few empirical studies have tried to explore how PBA affects reading comprehension achievement (RCA), academic motivation (AM), foreign language anxiety (FLA), and students’ self-efficacy (SS-E). To fill this lacuna of research, the current study intended to gauge the impact of PBA on the improvement of RCA, AM, FLA, and SS-E in English as a foreign language (EFL) context. In so doing, a sample of 88 intermediate EFL learners were randomly divided into experimental group (EG) and CG (control group). During this research (16 sessions), the learners in the CG (N = 43) received the tradition assessment. In contrast, the learners in the EG (N = 45) were exposed to some modification based on the underpinning theories of PBA. Data inspection applying the one-way multivariate analysis of variance (i.e., the one-way MANOVA) indicated that the learners in the EG outperformed their counterparts in the CG. The results highlighted the significant contributions of PBA in fostering RCA, AM, FLA, and S-E beliefs. The implications of this study may redound to the benefits of language learners, teachers, curriculum designers, and policy makers in providing opportunities for further practice of PBA.

A Topic-Chain Approach to Teaching English-Chinese Textual Translation Strategies

This paper investigates the effectiveness of three approaches to teaching English-Chinese textual translation strategies to intermediate level EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners. The learners were randomly assigned to one of three groups and taught using different methods, each with its own chain: Explicit-Method-Chain (EMC), Explicit-Task Method Chain (ETMC), or Implicit Task Method Chain (ITMC). This is a mixed methods study that employed quantitative and qualitative data in the formative stage, followed by a comparative analysis. The results show that all strategies are effective in teaching translational skills to intermediate level EFL learners but explicit task method chains are more effective than explicit method chains.

A Probe into Cognitive and Metacognitive Reading Strategy Use and Reading Comprehension Test Performance in Light of Emotioncy

ABSTRACT This study aims to find the potential relationship between emotioncy (sense-induced emotions), reading strategy use, and reading comprehension test performance among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. To this end, 514 intermediate and upper-intermediate EFL learners were asked to complete a 30-item multiple-choice reading comprehension test along with the emotioncy scale and a standardized reading strategies questionnaire. Fitted regression models, a t-test, and a Mann-Whitney U test were utilized to analyze the data. The findings showed that higher levels of emotioncy may lead to higher scores in a reading comprehension test. Moreover, the learners who had higher levels of emotioncy employed more cognitive and metacognitive reading comprehension strategies and all their related sub-scales. Finally, the results revealed that the emotioncy level is a stronger predictor of reading comprehension success compared to the reading strategies employed by EFL learners. In the end, the findings were discussed in the context of language education and implications were provided.

Mobile assisted language learning in learning English through social networking tools: An account of Instagram feed-based tasks on learning grammar and attitude among English as a foreign language learners.

Advancement of social media in the modern era provides a good incentive for researchers to unleash the potential of social networking (SN) tools in order to improve education. Despite the significant role of social media in affecting second/foreign language (L2) learning processes, few empirical studies have tried to find out how Instagram feed-based tasks affect learning grammar structure. To fill this lacuna of research, the current study set forth to delve into the influence of Instagram feed-based tasks on learning grammar among English as a foreign language (EFL) learners. In so doing, a sample of 84 intermediate EFL learners were randomly divided into experimental and control groups. The learners in the control group received regular online instruction via webinar platforms. In contrast, the learners in the experimental group were exposed to Instagram feed-based tasks. Data inspection applying one-way ANCOVA indicated that the learners in the experimental group outperformed their counterparts in the control group. The results highlighted the significant contributions of Instagram feed-based tasks in fostering learning grammar. Furthermore, EFL learners’ positive attitudes toward using Instagram Feed-based Tasks in Learning Grammar was concluded. The implications of this study may redound to the benefits of language learners, teachers, curriculum designers, as well as policy makers in providing opportunities for further practice of Instagram feed-based tasks in language learning and teaching.

Exploring the potential of graphic novels for L2 pragmatic teaching and learning – focus on young learners

ABSTRACT To date very little research is available that focuses on L2 pragmatics and young learners [cf. Schauer, G.A. 2022a. Teaching pragmatics to young learners: a review study. Applied Pragmatics. DOI:10.1075/ap.00006.sch]. Recent studies have shown that textbooks for young learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) vary considerably regarding their pragmatic content and frequently do not provide varied and consistent input of key speech acts and formulaic expressions. Graphic novels could be a rich source of pragmatic input for L2 learners as they tend to contain a considerable amount of direct speech that could be used in a variety of different ways in the L2 classroom. In this paper, I will examine four graphic novels (2 suitable for beginner level and 2 suitable for intermediate level EFL learners) concerning their potential to provide young L2 learners with pragmatic input of their respective level. The study provides an overview of the number of speech act occurrences of eight speech acts (greetings, leave-takings, requests, responses to requests, expressions of gratitude, responses to expressions of gratitude, apologies, responses to apologies), as well as a more detailed analysis of individual speech act expressions and formulaic routines of six of the eight speech acts.

Flipping writing metacognitive strategies and writing skills in an English as a foreign language collaborative writing context: a mixed‐methods study

AbstractBackgroundThe transition from teacher‐centred towards student‐centred approaches in English language teaching, accompanied by developments in educational technology, has attracted researchers' attention to reverse teaching or flipped class. The related literature asserts that this mode of instruction might influence instructors' and students' participation in the class.ObjectivesTo shed more light on the role of flipped class in affecting language learning strategies and skills, this study applied a sequential explanatory mixed‐methods approach to explore the impact of flipped class on English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' writing metacognitive strategies and writing skills.MethodsForty‐six intermediate EFL learners with an age range of 21–27, studying at a private language institute, were randomly divided into two groups of 23 learners. The two groups were randomly assigned to a flipped class, which received writing metacognitive strategies and writing skills through video clips before the class time, and a non‐flipped class, which received writing metacognitive strategies and writing skills in a conventional way during the class time.Results and ConclusionsThe results revealed that both flipped and non‐flipped classes improved the EFL learners' writing metacognitive strategies, writing performance, writing content, and writing organisation. Furthermore, one‐way ANCOVA analyses indicated that the flipped class outperformed the non‐flipped class in writing metacognitive strategies, writing performance, writing content, and writing organisation. Thematic analyses, which were used to help analyse individual semi‐structured interviews, uncovered a number of categories and themes, signifying the flipped learners' positive perceptions towards the flipped class, such as enhancing motivation, self‐confidence, and writing collaboration.ImplicationsPedagogical implications were discussed for flipping writing metacognitive strategies and writing skills.

Language teachers’ perceptions of using Google keyboard in L2 writing

Despite the growth of research on mobile technologies in educational contexts, research on language teachers’ perceptions of mobile technologies – particularly in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) – remains sparse. Hence, the present study explored EFL teachers’ perceptions of using Google keyboard (Gboard) for L2 writing instruction. The participants were two teachers who taught 47 intermediate Turkish EFL learners. Data were collected from the teachers. They were asked to keep a teaching journal and report their perceptions of Gboard implementation as well as the most distinctive lexical errors they deemed to emerge in the learners’ writing. Data analyses indicated that the teachers perceived the integration of Gboard into instruction as an effective intervention that assisted with enhancing the spelling accuracy of the learners. The implications of the study have been discussed.

Flipped Learning on Reading and Grammar Achievement at a Language Institute in Kerman-Iran (2021)

This study seeks to explore the effectiveness of flipped instruction on the Iranian intermediate English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners reading comprehension and grammar learning. As the participants of the study, 60 Iranian intermediate EFL learners from a language institute in Kerman, Iran, were recruited based on convenience sampling in the form of two intact classes. Then, to conduct randomization, the two classes were randomly assigned to two groups namely, flipping group and control group. Next, the two groups were exposed to 14 treatment sessions in which reading comprehension and grammar were taught to the flipping group through explicit flipped instruction and to the control group through non-flipped mainstream instruction used in the institute. Data collection tools employed in the study included the Quick Placement Test (QPT), Michigan test of grammar, Michigan test of reading, and SPSS 21 software. The results revealed the significant effectiveness of flipped instruction on the Iranian intermediate EFL learners' reading comprehension and grammar learning. Accordingly, it is suggested that EFL teachers use flipped instruction if they seek to enhance EFL learners' reading comprehension and grammatical knowledge.

The Mediating Role of Critical Thinking Abilities in the Relationship Between English as a Foreign Language Learners' Writing Performance and Their Language Learning Strategies.

Recent developments in the field of education have led to a renewed interest in the mediating role of critical thinking abilities (CTA) in the relationship between language learning strategies and the intermediate English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ writing performance. Oxford Placement Test (OPT) was run to homogenize the participants, and 100 intermediate learners out of 235 were selected. Then, two valid questionnaires of Ricketts’ Critical Thinking Disposition and Oxford’s Strategy Inventory for Language Learning were administered. Having administered the questionnaires, the researchers asked the participants to sit for a writing test. The data collected from the questionnaires and as well as the scores of their writing performances were analyzed through SPSS (25.00). The results showed a significant relationship between (a) learning strategies and learners’ writing performances, (b) the sub-sets of learning strategies and learners’ writing performances, and (c) CTA and learners’ learning strategies. However, CTA did not play a mediating role in the relationship between intermediate EFL learners’ learning strategies and writing performance. Based on the results of the study, one might also conclude that strategies seemed to play a more important role in the performance of learners especially their writing performances. Therefore, this study had useful contributions for students, teachers, and curriculum designers. Findings of this research could assist teachers to be aware of learners’ strategies in learning writing and help their students to be responsive to using learning strategies in their learning process and create a satisfactory learning context for using learning strategies. Therefore, learners were able to become independent and feel responsibility for their own learning. Secondly, curriculum developers could take advantage of the findings to include learning strategies training into the curriculum. As a result, students were able to use strategies in their learning process more easily and finally, the results might pave the way for improving the research findings.

Turkish intermediate EFL learners' perceptual learning style preferences and willingness to communicate across gender

In the educational setting, learning style plays an important role since individuals are unlike in terms of their learning styles. As the area of modern language, teaching and learning has evolved over the last several decades. The instructors and students have seen a number of significant shifts in language teaching, learning techniques and approaches. The late 1970s saw the emergence of perceptual learning style theory in educational discourse. This research included one hundred English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students who were studying English at a public university in Turkey. The current research examined the link between learners' perceptual learning style and readiness to communicate, as well as the influence of gender on these relationships. After obtaining agreement from the participants, two questionnaires were sent to the students. Having ascertained the assumptions of normality of data, the researchers used Pearson correlation coefficient and Independent sample t-test as a parametric test for relationship and difference analysis. The results of the analysis revealed a positive and significant correlation between the participants' visual learning style, group learning style and kinesthetic learning style preferences and their willingness to communicate. Moreover, it was revealed that there was not any significant relationship between tactile learning style, auditory learning style and individual learning style preferences of participants and their willingness to communicate. Moreover, it was found that, gender does not make any significant difference on perceptual learning style preference of learners and their willingness to communicate.