non-English Major Students Research Articles

Teachers’ Perspectives on AI-Driven Quillionz for Generating EFL Reading Comprehension Quizzes

Emerging artificial intelligence (AI) has significant impacts on language learning and teaching, providing innovative pedagogies in sustainable educational settings. Among the powerful tools stands Quillionz (https://www.quillionz.com), a free AI-powered platform for building questions, quizzes, and assessments. Nevertheless, there has been little research on teachers’ experiences and perceptions of using Quillionz in EFL classroom settings. This study set out to explore teachers’ perspectives on utilizing Quillionz to generate reading comprehension quizzes for non-English major students through a pre and post-survey design. The research employed both qualitative and quantitative methods with Likert-scale questionnaires distributed to 48 English teachers from a vocational college in Hanoi before and after using Quillionz over four weeks. A paired sample T-Test was conducted to explore shifts in teachers’ perceptions. Subsequently, in-depth interviews were carried out with 10 randomly selected participants for further investigation. The findings revealed positive views among teachers towards Quillionz, its identified potential, and suggestions for more effective implementation. This paper makes a significant contribution to the integration of technology in language teaching, thereby enhancing students’ learning experiences.

Vocabulary Acquisition based on Personal Learning Pace

The quasi-experimental study investigates the use of Flippity, an interactive online platform, to enhance vocabulary acquisition among 62 non-English major undergraduate students at Thai Nguyen University of Education. The research addresses a gap in the literature by focusing on the effectiveness of Flippity for Vocabulary learning at the undergraduate level. The study evaluates the impact of personalized, game-based learning on vocabulary retention through home-based practice. Results show significant improvements in the vocabulary proficiency of the experimental group using Flippity, demonstrating that the platform effectively supports vocabulary learning. These findings suggest that Flippity can be a valuable resource for educators, providing a flexible and engaging tool for improving vocabulary acquisition in home environments.

A Study of Factors That Affect Chinese Tertiary EFL Learners’ Willingness to Communicate in Class

Classroom interaction characterizes communicative language teaching. Effective classroom interaction promotes second language acquisition (SLA) and serves as an important means of using the language especially for students in a foreign language context. Willingness to communicate (WTC) has received constant attention since its application to the SLA field in the 1990s. Students’ WTC ensures the quantity and quality of classroom interaction. By analyzing the data from an end-of-year questionnaire in an ordinary Chinese college English class, the present study aims to examine Chinese non-English major students’ general attitudes towards classroom communication activities and two major categories of factors, namely Teacher Factors and Task Factors, that influence students’ WTC in English classes from students’ perspective. The results show that the factors affecting WTC in college English classrooms are multidimensional, with Teacher’ s Emotions (being patient, encouraging, guiding, positive, happy, lively, passionate, trust), Teacher’ s Professional qualities (content selection, class organization, pronunciation, wait-time) and Task Content (usefulness, degree of difficulty, interest) having relatively greater effects. At the end of the paper, direction for future research is given. Second/foreign language teachers are advised to conduct further classroom research and actively regulate these factors for a more interactive English class and thus improve students’ class participation and learning efficiency.

Investigating the effectiveness of practicing English conversation with ChatGPT in improving non-English majored students’ English speaking skills at Nguyen Tat Thanh University

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of practicing English conversations with ChatGPT to enhance speaking skills of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners at Nguyen Tat Thanh University, specifically focusing on four key criteria: conversational fluency, pronunciation, vocabulary use, and grammatical accuracy. In this study, 60 students were divided into six groups for a quasi-experimental design with a combination between non-equivalent groups design and pretest-posttest design. Four groups were trained with ChatGPT for eight weeks, while two control groups were not. Speaking abilities were measured through pretest, mid-test, and posttest assessments. The findings revealed significant improvements in conversational fluency, vocabulary, and grammar for the ChatGPT-trained groups, while pronunciation showed minimal progress. These results suggest that integrating ChatGPT into English teaching curricula could help non-English majored students at Nguyen Tat Thanh University enhance their English communication skills.

Evaluating the effectiveness of oral presentations towards students' English speaking ability at Nguyen Tat Thanh University

The purpose of this research is to evaluate the effectiveness of oral presentations to improve the ability to speak English of first-year non-English major students at Nguyen Tat Thanh University. A quasi-experimental design is conducted with two groups, including an experimental group that receives instruction utilizing an oral presentation approach and a control group that receives no intervention. Pre-test and post-test assessments are used to systematically evaluate the impact of oral presentations on students' English speaking ability in terms of grammar, pronunciation, lexical proficiency, fluency, and discourse coherency. The results show the significant improvement of oral presentations compared to traditional teaching method in improving the English speaking skills of first-year non-English major students at Nguyen Tat Thanh University.

Factors Affecting College Students' Autonomous English Learning Ability and Strategies for Improvement

Autonomous learning is one of the advocated learning methods in a learning-oriented society and is also a requirement for reform in college English teaching. A semester-long investigation was conducted on non-English major college students' autonomous English learning, involving a series of studies with a questionnaire survey of 120 second-year non-English major students at a certain university. The results indicate that the current level of autonomous English learning ability among college students is still relatively low. Moreover, individual English proficiency, the class environment, and the amount of time spent on English learning outside of class significantly affect this ability. Therefore, universities should strengthen the reform of college English teaching, promote a shift in teachers' teaching concepts, and focus on enhancing students' self-efficacy. Additionally, improving students' motivation levels and appropriately extending the time for completing assignments outside of class are necessary to enhance college students' autonomous learning ability.

Study on computer-based systematic foreign language vocabulary teaching

Since ineffective FL vocabulary teaching has been currently shown in the higher education of Mainland China, this study aims to achieve a satisfactory vocabulary teaching outcome through the construction of a systematic computer-based vocabulary teaching mode. Based on constructivism, the mode was established with three essential teaching phases, which were incorporated with systematic cognitive processes of vocabulary learning, supported by appropriate vocabulary teaching strategies, and also facilitated by computer technologies. To illustrate its efficacy, altogether 58 non-English major undergraduate students in two classes were selected randomly from a university in Mainland China. The participants were divided into two groups by class, which were taught target words under the computer-based systematic vocabulary teaching mode and the traditional paper-based one, respectively. Under the traditional mode, the same teacher adopted the teaching methods as they had normally done in the past, such as rote memorization and mechanical practice mainly with paper-based materials. Through the achievement comparisons, it was ultimately revealed that the systematic computer-based vocabulary teaching mode was superior to the traditional with a detectable difference either immediately after or one month after the treatment. The significance was further reinforced by the results from a questionnaire survey conducted among the group taught under the systematic computer-based vocabulary teaching mode.

Revisit English Learner Autonomy Among Chinese Non-English Major Students During the COVID-19 Lockdown

As the primary and immediate learning context, schools are underrepresented in learner autonomy studies. Scholars’ concerns over the intricate nature of schools lead to inadequate attention on the medium of learner autonomy development. To fill this research gap, a convergent mixed method design included a self-developed questionnaire, and four semi-structured interviews were employed to examine the non-English major sophomores’ learner autonomy during the COVID-19 pandemic. The triangulation of quantitative and qualitative evidence yielded that between a public and a private university, there was a statistically significant difference in English as a foreign language (EFL)s’ motivation for autonomous learning during the COVID-19 lockdown. But other than the degree of motivation, no difference was captured regarding EFLs’ belief and knowledge of autonomous English learning, as well as their metacognitive knowledge. Overall, EFLs were confident about their capacity to do autonomous English learning but engaged in a few systematical autonomous English learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the results, discussions over Chinese EFLs’ learner autonomy and possible explanations for the motivation differences are included. Pedagogy implications and limitations are elaborated on at the end. Plain Language Summary Using a mixed method design, this study reveals the English as a foreign language (EFL) learner autonomy and the role of schools in differentiating it, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The triangulation of quantitative and qualitative data yielded that despite mainfesting confidence in their capacity for autonomous learning, Chinese EFL learners did not engage in active, systematic autonomous language learning during the lockdowns. The motivation for autonomous English learning differed between universities, with learners from the less prestigious private University Qiu demonstrating more motivation than EFLs from the top public University Nan. The study contributes to understanding EFL learner autonomy during a challenging time of school lockdowns and their motivation issues. It highlights the discrepancy between learners’ self-reported autonomy and engagement in independent language learning. Additionally, it challenges the assumption that learners from prestigious universities would exhibit higher motivation for autonomous learning, showing that motivation can vary depending on the university context.

Exploring the Acceptance of Mobile-Assisted Peer Feedback in English Speaking among Chinese EFL Students

Grounded in the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), this quasi-experimental study examined the use of Mobile-Assisted Peer Feedback (MAPF) tools via the Tencent Mini Programme among Chinese university EFL learners to enhance English speaking proficiency. A mixed-methods approach was employed, using descriptive statistics for questionnaire data and thematic analysis with NVivo for interview data. Sixty non-English major students (CEFR levels A2-B1) were selected through purposive sampling and assigned to three groups: one-way, dialogic, and visualised peer feedback. Results showed positive responses across all modes, with visualised feedback rated highest for usefulness, behavioural intention, and speaking improvement. The study highlights the need to consider technological, individual, and sociocultural factors in mobile-assisted feedback for language learning. Future research should explore long-term effects, application in diverse contexts, and further refinement of mobile-assisted feedback modes to enhance learner engagement. This study contributes to the research on MAPF in English speaking and offers practical insights for educational technology development.

A Study on the Use of Interactive Web Pages in Enhancing Speaking Skill among English Majored Students

This research paper investigates the effectiveness of interactive web pages as a supplementary tool for enhancing speaking skills among non-English majored students. By using survey research design with 122 students of English at The Banking Academy of Vietnam, the findings reveal some interesting results. Fluency aspect was believed the most beneficial aspect that interactive web pages can bring for students (M=4.01). Meanwhile, pronunciation obtained the least contribution to the improvement of speaking ability (M=2.69). However, further analysis indicated that the contributions of speaking aspects varied according to years of study. The mean of pronunciation aspect for Year1 (M = 3.57, SD = 0.58) was significantly larger than for Year 2 (M = 2.80, SD = 0.62), p < .001 and was significantly larger than for Year 3 (M = 2.21, SD = 0.38), p < .001. The result shows that students of year 1 believed that pronunciation was most enhanced through the use of interactive web pages (M=3.57) compared to M= 2.80; M=2.21 for year 2 and year 3 students respectively. The finding also reveals that the habits of using interactive web pages varied according to duration of study, i.e. first year students used pages to enhance speaking ability the least (M= 1.91) while the second year students use the most, M=4.33. The findings indicate that interactive web pages can significantly contribute to improving speaking skills among English majored students, providing valuable insights for educators and curriculum developers.

The relationship of academic procrastination on non-English majors' English classroom anxiety: a moderated mediation model.

Academic procrastination is negatively associated with English classroom anxiety among non-English major college students. However, current research has less explored the underlying mechanisms. The present study aims to investigate the relationship between academic procrastination and college students' English classroom anxiety as well as the mediating role of learning engagement and the moderating role of appraisals of intrinsic values. The academic procrastination scale, English classroom anxiety scale, learning engagement scale and appraisals of intrinsic values scale were used to measure 1,079 non-English majors in Jiangsu Province, China. (1) There was a significant positive correlation between academic procrastination and English classroom anxiety of non-English majors. (2) Learning engagement plays a part of mediating role between academic procrastination and English classroom anxiety; (3) When the appraisals of intrinsic values are high, the impact effect of learning engagement on English classroom anxiety is greater. Academic procrastination can affect university students' English classroom anxiety through learning engagement, and this relational pattern is modulated by appraisals of intrinsic values. This finding provides an important theoretical basis and practical insights for understanding and intervening in academic procrastination and classroom anxiety among college students.

THE IMPORTANCE OF PARENTS TO STUDENTS’ ENGLISH LEARNING: THE INFLUENCE OF PARENTING STYLES

This study explores the impact of parenting styles on the English learning engagement of non-English major students and examines the mediating role of individual self-control. The research utilized an online survey distributed to 500 non-English major students at SUniversity, with 429 valid responses analysed. The Chinese edition of the Short Egna Minnen av Barndoms Uppfostran (S-EMBU-C), the English Learning Engagement Scale, and the Self-Control Scale were employed to measure parenting styles, learning engagement, andself-control, respectively. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to analyse the relationships among these variables. The results revealed that positive parenting styles significantly enhance English learning engagement, while negative parenting styles diminish it. Moreover, individual self-control was found to mediate the relationship between parenting styles and learning engagement, suggesting that students with stronger self-control are more engaged in their English learning. In conclusion, this study underscores the importance of positive parenting in fostering students' learning engagement and highlights self-control as a critical factor in this process. These findings contribute to the understanding of how familial influences and individual traits combine to impact academic performance in non-English major students.

GROUP-WORK ACTIVITIES FOR NON-ENGLISH MAJORED STUDENTS TO PROMOTE SPEAKING SKILLS IN EFL CLASSROOMS AT DONG NAI TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITY

English language proficiency is crucial for academic and professional success, with effective communication skills playing a pivotal role. Collaborative teaching methods, particularly group work, can significantly enhance students' creativity, evaluation, synthesis, analysis, and comparison, as well as problem-solving, essential for developing collaborative abilities. Furthermore, non-English major students often struggle to develop their speaking skills due to limited practice opportunities. This study addresses this challenge by implementing group-work activities in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom. A mixed-methods approach was used to gather data including quantitative data collected through a questionnaire administered to 71 non-major students at Dong Nai Technology University and qualitative data came from semi-structured interviews. The results showed that group work significantly improved students' fluency, coherence, and confidence. Students reported increased motivation and engagement in speaking activities. These findings suggest that group-work activities effectively enhance speaking skills for non-English major students.

Metacognitive awareness and learning and performance goals as key predictors of writing performance

Effective writing involves more than just grammatical correctness and vocabulary choice. A deeper understanding of one’s thinking processes while writing, coupled with clear writing goals, is crucial for producing high-quality text. Thus, this study explores the correlation between students' metacognitive awareness, their orientation towards learning and performance goals, and their performance in English Academic Writing (EAW). Specifically, it investigates participants’ current metacognitive awareness and goal orientation in relation to their English Academic Writing. By examining participants’ understanding of their writing processes and goal they set, this research seeks to establish baseline for exploring potential connection between metacognition, goal orientation, and writing outcomes. The research employed a qualitative design using a survey involving 252 non-English major students across three universities in Indonesia. Participants completed two inventories; the Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI) and the Goal Inventory (GI), along with summative assessments of their writing performance. Their English Academic Writing proficiency was evaluated through standardized assessment. As a result, multiple linear regression analysis indicated a significant positive impact of metacognitive awareness on EAW performance, explaining 73.5% of the variance with a regression coefficient of 1.171 (p < .001). However, learning and performance goals did not significantly affect EAW performance, as evidenced by a regression coefficient of 0.026 (p = .343). These results underscore the pivotal role of metacognitive awareness in enhancing EAW performance among non-English majors, suggesting that further research is needed to explore the influence of goal orientation, and to explore its potential moderating effects on the relationship between metacognitve awareness and EAW performance. Understanding the complex interplay of these factors is essential for developing effective pedagogical interventions to enchance EAW abilities among non-English major students.

Language learning perfectionism, success and academic resilience of Chinese non-English major students

Language learning perfectionism, success and academic resilience of Chinese non-English major students

A Qualitative Study into How Non-English Major Students Emotionally Respond to Teacher-Written Feedback

Despite extant literature on the interplay between pedagogical practices and emotional impact, the emotional responses of non-English major undergraduates to teacher-written feedback in L2 writing classrooms remain underexplored. This research, employing semi-structured interviews and document analysis as primary data collection tools, aims to explore how different functions of feedback, including praise, criticism, and suggestions, evoke students’ emotions in higher education settings. The study, conducted in the context of a single university's L2 writing courses, involved 88 undergraduates for document analysis and 5 for semi-structured interviews. Findings reveal that personalized feedback significantly impacts students' self-perception, learning motivation, and engagement, underscoring the importance of empathy and clarity in feedback delivery. This paper highlights tailored feedback's crucial role in enhancing academic growth and emotional well-being, contributing to a more nuanced understanding of feedback dynamics in language education.

Effects of perceived teacher support on online language learners’ engagement

This study aimed to investigate the effects of perceived teacher support on online language learners’ engagement. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were adopted to explore the issue. A total of 1429 Chinese first-year non-English major students from different disciplines participated in the survey, and three of them were selected as semi-structured interviewees. The collected survey data were processed through multiple analyses with the help of SPSS 26.0 and AMOS 24.0, while qualitative data subsequently gathered from interviews served as supplementary evidence for examining the quantitative results. The findings indicated that online language learners were generally engaged at an intermediate level, and overall perceived teacher support was relatively close to the upper level. Furthermore, online language learners’ engagement was positively correlated with perceived teacher support. Specifically, perceived intellectual support dominated in predicting overall engagement, cognitive engagement, emotional engagement, and social engagement, whereas perceived emotional support had the strongest influence on language learners’ behavioral engagement in the online context. The implications of these findings for future studies and educational practices were discussed.

The Application of Schema Theory in English Reading

English reading has always been an important part of English learning. However, many non-English major Chinese students do not pay attention to the cultivation of reading ability, but only passively learn with the goal of exams. At the same time, due to cultural differences, many difficulties arise in the process of English reading teaching. The development of schema theory provides language researchers with a good idea for studying reading behavior, and it also provides guidance for the teaching process of English reading for Chinese university students. Therefore, this paper uses a literature analysis method to study how schema theory works in English reading in different teaching methods, hoping to provide more teaching ideas for teachers. The study shows that currently, mind mapping and information technology teaching can effectively improve college students' English reading ability. In the teaching process, students use mind mapping to grasp different formal schemas and conduct top-down reading based on the mind maps they draw. At the same time, new media teaching and mobile learning also expand students' content schemas, promoting systematic learning of language knowledge for students.

Whether English Proficiency and English Self-Efficacy Influence the Credibility of ChatGPT-Generated English Content of EMI Students

This study investigated whether English proficiency (EP) and English self-efficacy (ESE) influence the credibility of ChatGPT-generated English content (CCGEC) of college students in the English-medium instruction (EMI) courses. We observed a college-level EMI course called “Technical Writing and Presentation”, where instructors encouraged their students of non-English majors to use ChatGPT for discovery learning in their EMI learning tasks. A survey of 800 students showed that ChatGPT was primarily used for providing explanations, suggesting ideas and structures, and preparing presentations. Analyzing the survey data with the MANCOVA procedure revealed that students' EP levels did not influence their CCGEC, and ESE did not moderate the relationship between EP and CCGEC in the EMI course context. These findings suggest that ChatGPT can be a valuable tool for EMI students regardless of their EP or ESE.

The Study of the English Preparation Course to Enhance Students’ English Proficiency for the Standardized Test “Your Score is High; my Score is Low. How to Make it Higher?”

“Your score is high; my score is low. How can I make it higher?” The author heard this in students’ conversations after they received their pre-test scores in the TOEIC training course. This is the major reason the author decided to conduct this study. Using the TOEIC score as part of the graduation requirements, the university designed and provided an English preparation course, namely EG1001: English for Proficiency Preparation, for students before taking the test. This small-scale research aims to investigate the effectiveness of the test preparation course in enhancing students’ English language proficiency and to explore which specific skills non-English major students need to improve for the TOEIC test. The study used pre-and post-tests to collect the language proficiency outputs of 57 higher education students in this course. Additionally, the study used their mini-test scores from each unit of the learning material to track their progress. The findings revealed that the post-test mean score (48.96) was higher than the pre-test mean score (40.58), indicating that after participating in this course, the participants improved their English proficiency. The results also suggested that students needed to practice more on the listening part of the TOEIC test.