University EFL Learners Research Articles

Analysis of the Brain Dominance and Language Learning Strategy Used by University EFL Learners

This study examined (1) the brain dominance pattern and language learning approaches, (2) the role of brain dominance toward each category of language learning strategies, (3) whether there was a significant difference, and (4) the effect. The participants in this study were 99 students in Universitas Veteran Bangun Nusantara by random sampling. Language Learning and Brain Dominance Questionnaires collected data. The brain dominance score and language learning strategies score were calculated and analyzed by analysis of variance to investigate any difference between brain dominance and learning strategies. The result: (1). The highest mean students’ language learning strategies use was cognitive strategies (2) Each language learning strategy category differed significantly between left, whole, and right-brained students. (3) Left-brain and whole-brain effects on student language learning strategies were the same. (4). Students' learning tactics vary by brain type.

The Relationships among Chinese University EFL Learners' Feedback-Seeking Behavior, Achievement Goals, and Mindsets.

This study investigated the characteristics of feedback-seeking behavior and the underlying motivational antecedents including the mindsets and achievement goals of Chinese EFL learners. Questionnaire data were collected from 677 learners taking English classes at different levels in China for (1) their beliefs about English learning (a fixed or growth mindset), (2) goal orientation in achievement-related situations (development or demonstration goals), and (3) FSB (whether to seek feedback, by what strategies, and from whom). Results indicated that Chinese EFL learners with a growth mindset or demonstration-approach goals proactively seek feedback through variant strategies (i.e., feedback direct inquiry, indirect inquiry, and monitoring) while those with development-approach goals or a fixed mindset seek feedback by monitoring only due to learners' different perceptions of the cost and value attached to different strategies. Furthermore, a demonstration approach partially mediated the predictive role of a growth mindset on three FSBs, while the relationships between feedback monitoring and the two mindsets were partially or fully mediated by a development approach.

Effects of morphological intervention on multiple aspects of academic vocabulary knowledge

Despite the positive role of English morphology in word learning, the existing evidence is mainly on young L1 native speakers' receptive word gains. This intervention study, which employed a pretest-posttest control-experimental group design, was conducted to explore the effects of morphological training on multiple aspects of academic vocabulary learning. Participants (N = 50) were college EFL learners from southern China, who received either traditional vocabulary instruction or morphological training for 6 weeks. The 2 × 2 ANOVA analysis revealed significant instructional effects on receptive academic vocabulary learning, but not for productive academic word knowledge. Results are discussed in light of the important connection between morphology and receptive word learning, and the nature of productive vocabulary acquisition.

College students’ perceptions of online learning: A study on learners’ satisfaction and experiences in online general English course

Objectives The purpose of this study is to investigate the perceptions of Korean EFL college learners toward online learning based on their level of satisfaction as well as their experiences of online learning. Methods A total of 111 college students who enrolled in online general English course were asked to complete a survey including 22 closed- and open-ended questions. Descriptive statistical analysis was conducted using the IBM SPSS statistical package to examine learners' satisfaction with online classes. Regarding responses of participants’ experiences on online learning, all the narrative data was examined and divided into themes that emerged in the data. Results The findings showed that learners were generally satisfied with online learning and in particular, they were highly satisfied with pre-recorded video lectures than synchronous classes or combined classes. In addition, the level of satisfaction on ‘teacher-centered lectures’ was high, and those of ‘cooperative learning’ and ‘peer feedback activities’ were relatively low. Furthermore, students recognized accessibility, flexibility, and the possibility of repetitive learning as advantages of online learning while perceiving technical problems, communication with others, and lack of immediate feedback as disadvantages of online learning. Conclusions Based on the findings, discussion and suggestions on effective teaching methods and activities for online classes were presented.

A model of academic buoyancy, L2 grit, academic emotion regulation, and personal best: An evidence from EFL context

Students are the products of educational system and every strategy taken in education may foster or hinder their learning progress. Efficient instruction is achieved when emotional and cognitive heath of the learners is warranted. Despite the critical roles of Academic Buoyancy (AB), L2 grit, Academic Emotion Regulation (AER), and Personal Best (PB), studies on their reciprocal relationships are still under shadow. Thus, this investigation suggested a model to depict the interplay among AB, L2 grit, AER, and PB. In so doing, The Academic Buoyancy Scale (ABS), The Language-domain-specific Grit Scale (L2-Grit S), The Academic Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (AERQ), and The Personal Best Scale (PBS) were distributed to 435 Iranian EFL university learners at BA level. The data screening based on Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) reflected that buoyant as well as gritter EFL learners are more aware of evaluating their academic emotional experiences as well as perusing their goals. More precisely, the mediator roles of AB and L2 grit on AER and PB were uncovered. The implications of this study, which advance psychology of language learning and teaching are thoroughly discussed.

Cohesion Profiles of L2 Writings by Korean EFL College Learners

This study is to explore the cohesion profiles of L2 writings both quantitatively and qualitatively in the course of process writing by L2 English learners to see if learners exhibit any progress in subsequent drafts. Three students’ writing samples were collected from a course of Logic and Essay Writing offered at a university in Jeollanam-do in Korea. Their three subsequent drafts of English learning autobiographies in the course of recursive process writing were analyzed both quantitatively using Coh-Metrix and qualitatively based on Halliday and Hasan’s (1976) taxonomy of cohesive devices. Coh-Metrix indices relevant to cohesion including descriptive indices, referential cohesion indices, and connective indices of three learners‘ writing samples were examined. In addition to the quantitative analysis between three writings and between the three drafts, qualitatively divergent patterns in the use of respective cohesive devices were discussed.

Compliments and Compliment Responses among Palestinian EFL University Learners: A Sociolinguistic Study

This study investigates compliments and compliment responses from a sociolinguistic perspective as realized by forty Palestinian EFL university learners. The investigation focused on identifying how the participants perform compliments and compliment responses in English. Moreover, it addressed the asymmetries in this field among male and female participants. The researchers created a discourse completion task (DCT) to collect data. The collected data were analyzed based on the analytical framework of Yuan (2002) of compliment strategies and the analytical framework of Herbert (1990) of compliment responses strategies. The findings of the study show that Palestinian EFL university learners tend to perform explicit compliments more than other compliment strategies. The learners also tend to accept compliments more than reject them. Besides, there are no significant gender asymmetries among Palestinian EFL university learners in terms of how they perform compliments and compliment responses. Finally, the findings reveal that social status does not affect the way Palestinian EFL university learners express and respond to compliments. Keywords: Compliment, Compliment Responses, DCT, Compliment Strategies, Gender, Social Status.

A Study of Kurdish EFL University Learners’ Comprehension of Implicatures

This study investigates the extent of the comprehension of implicatures by Kurdish EFL learners at the university level. For this purpose, the Implicature Comprehension Instrument (ICI) was the sole instrument used for the data collection using a 14-item administered to 43 respondents whose responses were calculated and analyzed quantitatively and descriptively. The data analysis reveals that a noticeable number of the participants comprehended different types of implicatures to different levels for each category in comprehending implicatures. The results also show no statistically significant difference between the participants’ comprehension of implicature according to gender. Finally, the participants also showed a moderately high level of implicature comprehension, which may benefit students, instructors, and curricula designers.

Dynamic Assessment of College EFL Learners’ Speaking Proficiency: A Case Study

Abstract To investigate the impact of dynamic assessment (DA) on the development of speaking skills, a case study was conducted, recruiting a non-English major undergraduate. DA was constructed following the design combining sandwich and cake format with an interactionist approach. To collect data, a profile was designed in accordance with the China’s Standards of English Language Ability (CSE) to record the learner’s changes. A semi-structured interview was conducted to reveal his perspectives on DA. The generated profile with specific mediator-learner’s moves revealed the learner’s microgenetic development in both organizational knowledge and oral expression strategy ability. The thematic analysis of the interview demonstrated the learner’s positive experience with DA, while also unveiling the weak points of DA. Finally, the operational framework for applying interactionist DA in the oral classroom was discussed, and the complementary relationship between DA and traditional teaching and testing practices was highlighted.

Teacher support and learning engagement of EFL learners: The mediating role of self-efficacy and achievement goal orientation

Given the extremely preeminent role of students’ learning engagement (LE) in their academic success, investigating the predictors of LE for EFL learners seems critical. Prior research has demonstrated that the external environmental factors (e.g., teacher support) and the internal motivational factors (e.g., self-efficacy, achievement goal orientation) were related to LE, yet the internal mechanism is still under-explored. Therefore, this study attempted to explore the associations between teacher support and LE and the possible underlying mechanism through which teacher support influences LE with individual motivational variables of self-efficacy and achievement goal orientation the mediators for EFL learners in China. A sample of 466 Chinese college EFL learners participated in the study. Results indicated that (1) both academic support and emotional support significantly predicted LE; (2) academic support predicted LE through the separate mediation of self-efficacy, mastery goals and performance-approach goals; whereas emotional support only predicted LE through mastery goals; (3) academic support, but not emotional support, predicted LE through the chain mediation of self-efficacy and mastery goals, self-efficacy and performance-approach goals. These results elucidated the mechanism of different teacher support on LE and provided some implications for promoting EFL learners’ engagement.

Exploring Synchronous Learning during COVID-19 Pandemic: Taiwan EFL College Learners’ Motivation and Learning Experience

The purpose of this study was twofold: first, to explore Taiwan EFL college learners' motivation for synchronous learning, and second, to differences between gender groups in their synchronous learning motivation during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 96 undergraduate learners from northern Taiwan took part in the study. All the participants were required to participate in 4 different types of online activities: synchronous learning, online discussion, group oral presentation, and submission of e-assignments. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected, including a motivation questionnaire and learners' essay writing. According to the findings, their overall motivation was positive. Nevertheless, male learners had significantly less confidence in their online performance and less acceptance of this kind of interaction. This study highlights not only the crucial role of motivation in synchronous learning acceptance and engagement but also the importance of gender differences, self-regulation, social interaction, and self-efficacy for effective online learning.

Predicting Kurdish EFL University Learners' Oral Reading Fluency Using Support Vector Machine

Investigating learners’ English Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) in the contexts where English is used as a foreign language (EFL) or second language (ESL) has recently become a trending subject. This study was carried out to predict the ORF of 100 Kurdish EFL university students of the English language department, college of Basic Education, university of Duhok, Iraq in 2020 during covid-19 using the support vector machine (SVM) technique. This technique is one of the supervised machine learning techniques, and it is considered the most powerful algorithm in machine learning in terms of high accuracy; therefore, it was employed in this study. Participants’ ORF was measured by two experienced human raters using the four dimensions of the Multidimensional Fluency Scale (MDFS) including expression & volume, phrasing, smoothness, and pacing, which were used as the input variables to predict the ORF as an output. Six kernels of the SVM were used in the prediction process. The results indicated that the highest accuracy of testing result was obtained on the use of SVM Linear kernel with a value of 96.2%. Confusion matrix was utilized to assess the outcomes of data classification. The results of precision, recall, and F1-score were the highest for the SVM linear kernel and their values were the same for all performance metrics with a value of 96.1%. Accordingly, it can be concluded that the performance of the SVM is considerably accurate in predicting the oral reading fluency.

Effects of Online Collaborative Writing via Google Docs on Learners’ Writing Performance and Interaction: A Case Study of Asian EFL Learners

This study investigated the effects of online collaborative writing and writing contributions in Google Docs of 35 Asian EFL university learners in a composition course. Data were collected from students’ pre- and post-test writing, two extended online collaborative tasks: writing descriptive and argumentative essays, and student reflections. Students’ writing performances were assessed using Jacobs et al.’s (1981) composition analytic scoring rubric. Paired sample t-test analysis showed that academic writing performance significantly increased after participating in two extended collaborative writing tasks. Learners developed more extended written texts and texts were more accurate in the post-test writing. Furthermore, Pearson correlation coefficient (Pearson’s r) analysis showed that learners’ text contributions, their use of writing change functions and language functions during the collaborative process was positively correlated with their post-writing performance. This study supports the notion of writing as an exploratory and recursive process, but not linear.

The impact of intelligent personal assistants on learners’ autonomous learning of second language listening and speaking

ABSTRACT Research has revealed the positive impact of intelligent personal assistants (IPAs) on L2 learners’ oral development and learning attitude. These studies, however, focused mostly on the in-class use of IPAs, with existing research on the out-of-class use being exploratory. To fill the gap of lacking empirical investigations on IPA-based autonomous second language learning (ASLL), this study recruited 34 college EFL learners to use Google Assistant (GA) in their respective homes for six weeks and examined their listening and speaking development afterwards. Each week, participants received an email about the new commands for them to explore, and half of them were additionally given sustained teacher guidance (i.e. weekly evaluation forms) on the usefulness of each command to better enhance their participation. Statistical analysis on the participants’ learning gains demonstrated that participants receiving weekly evaluation forms made significant improvement in both listening and speaking skills, and they even outperformed those without weekly evaluation forms in their oral development. Nevertheless, there was no significant difference in the two groups’ listening gains. These findings demonstrate that, with sustained teacher guidance, IPAs have great potential in L2 oral development in ASLL context, but more long-term studies on IPAs’ impact for L2 listening should be conducted.

The Use of Politeness Strategies in the Realization of the Speech act of Disagreement by EFL Learners

This study aimed to investigate the differences between the politeness strategies used by university EFL learners and American native speakers in making disagreements. Using Brown and Levinson’s (1978) model, the study examined the variables of gender, social status, and social distance. The participants were 63 EFL learners (41 females and 22 males) and 20 native speakers (10 females and 10 males). The EFL learners who took part in this study were EFL learners who were studying in the Department of English Language and Literature at the University of Bahrain. They were in their fourth, fifth, or sixth year of study. The data was collected using a Discourse Completion Task adopted from a previous study done by Khoirunnisa and Hardjanto (2018) and modified by the researcher to fit the needs of this study. The results of this study showed that the reason why EFL learners seemed more or less polite was that native speakers chose to apply higher or lower percentages of politeness strategies to fit the needs of the different situations, whereas EFL learners used similar percentages of those strategies in most of the situations. This was due to EFL learners’ insufficient competence in the English language. Further, EFL learners were still aware of the necessity of using different politeness strategies in different situations, and thus there were some changes in their use of them depending on the situation. Moreover, the study revealed that female EFL learners used slightly more positive politeness strategies than male EFL learners. In terms of importance, gender was shown to be more important than social status in determining the types of politeness strategies employed by EFL learners.

Enhancing EFL Learners’ Reading Proficiency through Dynamic Assessment

ABSTRACT Built on Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory, Dynamic Assessment (DA) integrates teaching and assessment through mediator-learner interactions to promote learner development. This study employed interactionist DA to diagnose Chinese university EFL learners’ reading difficulties and promote their reading proficiency in a seven-week study. The design included a pre-test, a four-week Enrichment Program, a post-test, and a transfer test. Five learners completed each test both in a non-dynamic (NDA) and DA form. The learners’ individual interactions with a mediator in DA were recorded, transcribed and analyzed via Nvivo. In addition, the learners’ independent performances (IPs) on the NDA and DA, difficulties encountered in the process, the mediator’s prompts provided for the learners, and the learners’ mediated performances (MPs) were all identified and analyzed. Comparisons of the learners’ IPs and MPs across the tests showed that DA contributed to learners’ reading proficiency development, and this progress was evident both in their post-test IPs and MPs.

Foreign Language Literature in the Online Mode: A Quasi-Experimental Study with College EFL Learners in Saudi Arabia

The sudden outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent drastic changes in the education sector led to a great deal of interest being generated in educational research. The corpus so added covered a wide range of issues that mushroomed in the new scenario, and as far as language research goes, there were not many areas that did not invoke new forays. However, teaching and learning of literature courses has remained a largely virgin territory and one which this study explores. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study examines the perspectives and satisfaction of EFL learners and teachers at Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University (IMBSIU), Saudi Arabia, to the study of English literature in the online mode with standard online learning platforms in Imam University. This was followed by collection of quantitative data from both teachers (N= 30) and students (N= 50) using online surveys after an interventional period of six weeks during which literature lessons were delivered in a purely online mode. Data were collected via validated questionnaire supported by previous studies. Results showed that teachers reported their satisfaction due to the engagement of their students in the online literature classes. Similarly, students of the EFL literature class at IMBSIU have positive attitudes and high satisfaction on studying literature in the online mode. Furthermore, students reported gains in terms of (i) Efficacy of materials and resources; ii. Opportunities for autonomous learning; and iii. Opportunities for interaction; the teachers reported satisfaction in terms of i. Learner interaction; and ii. Professional satisfaction. The outcomes are likely to reflect on the efficacy of pedagogical practices and help enhance learning outcomes. Based on these findings, the study proposes pertinent recommendations on how online learning platforms in a tertiary setting might be utilized and enhanced over time, even when the pandemic becomes a thing of the past.

Investigating pragmatic failure in L2 English email writing among Japanese university EFL learners

Abstract English L2 email is an important mode of communication for Japanese university learners. However, learners often find it challenging to vary register in a pragmatically-appropriate manner when emailing. Identifying specific aspects of English email writing that learners find challenging can provide the basis for addressing learner needs. A corpus approach can help, systematically identifying instances of perceived divergence from register-specific norms in an email dataset. Few learner corpora, however, have focused on appropriate register variation in learner L2 English. This article describes the development, annotation, and analysis of a specialized corpus of Japanese university English L2 learners’ request-based email writing, annotated for perceived instances of pragmatic failure. Findings show high frequencies of perceived pragmatic failure across all aspects of English L2 email writing, with participants struggling to appropriately adapt their language to varying contexts. Implications for the language learning classroom are discussed.

Revisiting informal digital learning of English (IDLE): a structural equation modeling approach in a university EFL context

Informal digital learning of English (IDLE) is an increasingly important subfield of inquiry in Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) for its concentration on the language learning practices of the digital native EFL students in out-of-class contexts. Attention in mainstream research of IDLE has been directed to (meta)cognition, learning outcomes, etc. as separate domains of IDLE; however, these significant efforts have neither clarified the blurry boundary between semi-structured IDLE practices and unstructured extramural practices nor investigated factors that positively predict learners’ IDLE-enhanced learning outcomes or practices on the four language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. As such, the present study sets out to extend the discussion of informal digital learning of English (IDLE) by establishing a recontextualized model of IDLE. To this end, a total of 1080 Chinese university EFL learners were invited to complete an IDLE questionnaire survey developed and validated in the context of China. Using IBM SPSS Amos 22, structural equation modeling was run to examine the inter-factorial relationships among six IDLE sub-constructs by examining eight hypotheses. The results confirm that 1) learners’ IDLE-enhanced benefits are positively predicted by support from their important others, resources and cognition, but not learners’ authentic L2 experience and IDLE frequency and devices, and 2) learners’ IDLE practices can be significantly predicted by resources and cognition, authentic L2 experience, and IDLE frequency and devices. Based on these findings, we put forward an expanded conceptual framework of IDLE and suggest more replication studies in the future to testify this study’s generalizability and to arrive at more stable conclusions.

Korean College Students’ Utilization of Machine Translation Tools for their Presentation Scripts

The purpose of this research is to find out how EFL college learners utilized machine translation while writing their presentation scripts. Specifically, it attempted to examine the characteristics of the English translation outputs by MT and students’ self-edited drafts, and their perceptions toward the use of MT in English writing classes. Six college students were asked to submit one Korean draft, two machine translation drafts, and one self-edited draft, and two in-depth interviews were conducted with each of the participants during the course of the semester. Grammarly (2022), a free online grammar and spelling checker, was used to examine the characteristics of the collected writings, and Miles and Huberman’s (1994) three-step analytic method was employed to analyze the data from the in-depth interviews. The results of data analysis revealed that 1) there were more lexical errors than grammatical errors, and the number of the errors did not show a big difference between the different drafts; 2) Also, students viewed the use of MT in the English writing classes positively but found it difficult to properly use. Based on the research findings, pedagogical implications for the effective use of MT in English writing classes were suggested.