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Research on academic writer development has focused exclusively on the writing output and other sources of doctoral student professional development. Nevertheless, variations in understanding ongoing development remain unclear given that academic writers involve first-year doctoral students. Hence, the study investigated the ways of understanding first-year doctoral student development as academic writers. A qualitative case study was conducted on four first-year doctoral students during their doctoral research proposal writing process. A case study analysis was conducted on the findings of understanding academic writer development in four ways and represented by four categories: (i) becoming self-assured as an academic writer, (ii) becoming acknowledged as an academic writer, (iii) becoming more productive as an academic writer, and (iv) becoming a deep thinker as an academic writer. The four ways of understanding academic writer development could be linked to the participants' embracing and expanding academic awareness. Specifically, the development represented by later categories includes the earlier categories of academic awareness. Moreover, the later categories represent increasing complexity in academic awareness and different academic writer development aspects. The findings could guide writers such as first-year doctoral students in their development as academic writers.

In recent years, an increasing number of non-native EFL teachers have been recruited to teach English in English dominant settings. Grounded in sociocultural views of identity, the research question of this study focused on how contextual factors influence the professional identity construction of three EFL teachers in a Saudi School in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The study employs a qualitative case study method, where in-depth interviews and classroom observation are utilised. Drawing on Wenger's (1998) communities of practice framework to analyse and interpret the data, the analysis indicates various factors affecting the EFL Saudi teachers' professional identity. Findings reveal that identity formation is a complex and highly contextual process. The participants in this study construct their identities by engaging in their teaching environment, shared practices with their peers, engaged in student-parents relationship and participated in professional development. Through transitioning into the English as a second language (ESL) setting, the EFL teachers have demonstrated how professional identity is a dynamic and socially situated construct. As a result, these teachers' identities may be transformed by the global educational settings in which they work. The findings contribute to our understanding of the importance of a conducive professional environment in supporting teachers to develop their professional identities.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the challenges experienced by in-service English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers in an open distance learning (ODL) institution of higher learning in Malaysia. Many in-service ESL teachers who do not have the necessary teaching qualifications are seeking to obtain their teaching qualifications via the ODL mode of studies as it allows them to work as teachers while obtaining their teaching qualifications at the same time. They face multiple challenges which lead to high attrition rates, a concern for ODL institutions of higher learning worldwide. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative research design using a case study approach was used in this study where in-depth interviews were conducted with four in-service ESL teachers who are currently enrolled in an undergraduate Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) programme conducted via ODL. Findings: The research is exploratory in nature. Findings highlighted four major challenges by these in-service ESL teachers--(1) financial difficulties, (2) work commitments, (3) family sacrifices and (4) emotional stress. However, technological use was not considered a challenge as mentioned by literature. Practical implications: Findings from the study may be useful to ODL institutions to provide relevant support to ODL students to improve student retention rates in ODL institutions. Originality/value: This study may be considered as a baseline analysis on the challenges experienced by in-service ESL teachers in ODL institution of higher learning in Malaysia. Further in-depth studies are needed to understand how ODL institutions can better support their education programme students to complete their teacher education programmes.

This study aims to explore the influence of contextual factors on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers' professional identity formation in the context of Saudi Arabia. More specifically, it aims to examine how the participants' educational background, life experiences and professional setting influence their professional identities as EFL teachers in Saudi secondary schools. This study involved three EFL teachers who are based in Riyadh. Employing a case study method, the data collection techniques of this qualitative study included in-depth interviews and observations. Drawing upon Wenger's (1998) concept of communities of practice, the data analysis reveals several factors affecting the EFL Saudi teachers' professional identity. This study found that the Saudi teachers' educational background and life experiences act as formative elements which influence their EFL professional identity formation. Moreover, the participating teachers agree that practical experience and teaching community played a more significant role than their educational background in terms of shaping their teacher's identity construction and their classroom practices. The results have many implications for Saudi Arabia's development of current teacher education programme. If teacher education curriculum is aimed at improving the professional identity building of EFL teachers, then the policymakers might need to review the curricula of English language teacher education and incorporate some improvements within the programme.

Although reflective journal writing (RJW) has become a popular way to evaluate learning, little is known about participants' perceptions upon this educational activity. The purpose of this research paper was to utilize Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) to determine the dimension of pre-registered student nurses' perception on reflective journal writing. A total of thirty conveniently selected participants contributed to the study. Data was collected based on an adapted survey questionnaire. Data was analyzed through SPSS (V. 24) as well as importance-performance matrix. By using IPA matrix, participants rated the importance attribute in the "ideal" reflective journal writing and how satisfied they were with their performance in the actual setting. With a two-dimensional grid of importance and performance, the location of these attributes would determine what the participants' ideas were regarding RJW and how the educators would take necessary action accordingly. For the most parts, the results indicated that participants were satisfied with the academic practice. IPA proved to be a useful evaluation tool enabling curriculum and syllabus designers to identify the strength and weaknesses of RJW as perceived by participants.

The importance of critical thinking is championed in education, but it is also acknowledged that developing critical thinking is challenging particularly in a context like Malaysia where being critical often comes with negative connotations. This article details an attempt to develop reflective critical thinking in the discipline-specific study of Literature in English for undergraduates and practicing English as a Second Language (ESL) educators in Malaysia. A total of 32 participants attended workshops based on a created-creator module developed by the researchers. Participants went through three dimensions: exploring personal experiences, exploring author intention and exploring personal response to texts. Analysed as a case study, the module proved successful in developing initial responses to a level where participants could choose to accept or challenge identified sources of influence. This article presents empirical evidence that operationalises discipline-specific knowledge and extends critical thinking in reader response for Literature as a subject.

This study investigates English as a Second Language (ESL) learners' challenges in understanding academic science vocabulary in Malaysian secondary schools' English-medium instruction (EMI) classrooms. Based on cognitive load theory, the research explores ESL learners' strategies to acquire scientific terminology and manage the associated cognitive difficulties. Previous research on EMI across different subjects has often overlooked the specific hurdles presented by technical terms in the scientific vocabulary, creating a knowledge gap that impedes the development of effective teaching methods for science educators in EMI settings. In response, the study adopts a two-stage qualitative design, commencing with an online survey involving 103 participants, followed by group interviews with individuals from diverse linguistic backgrounds. The findings indicate that ESL learners in EMI science classrooms encounter significant obstacles due to unfamiliar scientific terminology, abstract concepts, and limited prior exposure to the subject matter. This results in a high cognitive load that inhibits comprehension. Nevertheless, the research identifies various vocabulary learning strategies students employ, including contextual clues and active engagement with scientific vocabulary within relevant contexts. These findings underscore the need for more inclusive learning environments supporting vocabulary development for ESL learners in EMI settings. Recommendations encompass creating instructional materials featuring clear and concise language and integrating scaffolding strategies to simplify complex scientific terms. This comprehensive approach has the potential to facilitate successful vocabulary development and enhance the overall learning experience for ESL learners in EMI science classrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to explore the experiences of Chinese EFL doctoral students in constructing their academic identities through critical argumentation in their thesis writing in an English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) context. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and document analysis. Narrative analysis was used to examine participants' thesis writing to gain insights into their experiences of academic identity construction. The results revealed that Chinese EFL doctoral students face challenges in developing a critical voice and authorial position, synthesizing multiple sources, and positioning themselves rhetorically in their writing. Furthermore, the results open possibilities for a broader understanding of academic writing that values international graduate student's educational background and cultural diversity in target English language discourse communities. While the narrative inquiry study on Chinese EFL doctoral students' academic identity construction through critical argumentation is insightful, there are several limitations to consider, mainly due to the small sample size of only two female Chinese respondents. Plain Language Summary: Constructing Academic Identity through Critical Argumentation This study investigates how Chinese international doctoral students construct their academic identities by using critical argumentation in their thesis writing within an English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) setting. The researchers collected data through semi-structured interviews and document analysis. In addition, they used narrative analysis to examine the participants' thesis writing and gain a deeper understanding of their experiences in developing their academic identities. The study's findings indicated that Chinese EFL doctoral students struggle to establish a critical voice and authorial position, integrate multiple sources, and strategically position themselves in their written work. This means that they struggle to express their opinions and ideas in their writing and use sources effectively to support their arguments. They also find it challenging to position themselves as experts in their field. The results highlight the need for a more comprehensive understanding of academic writing that considers international graduate students' educational backgrounds and cultural diversity in English language discourse communities. This means that academic writing instruction should be tailored to the needs of students from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. The study has some limitations, particularly the small sample size, which only includes two female Chinese participants. This means the findings may not be generalizable to Chinese international doctoral students or students from other cultural and linguistic backgrounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study aims to examine lecturer readiness for English Medium Instruction (EMI) in higher educational institutions and the contextual influences of gender, age, academic qualification, teaching experience, EMI course teaching involvement, and EMI training. A quantitative research design was employed, and a survey questionnaire was completed by 227 lecturers (out of 250 invited participants) from private universities in Klang Valley, Malaysia to gauge self-ratings of personal knowledge, skills, abilities, and attitudes in educating EMI courses. The collected data were subsequently analysed via the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27.0 software before revealing the findings from the inferential statistics of the t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) on lecturers' gender, age, academic qualification, teaching experience, EMI course teaching involvement, and EMI training. Resultantly, the important role of lecturers' knowledge, understanding, skills, abilities, and attitudes was highlighted to further enhance intercultural communicative competence in managing the increasingly diversified student body in EMI classrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the perceptions and challenges of Malaysian pre-service teachers teaching science in a second language. A qualitative case study method was used with multiple sources of data to provide insights into the challenges that a group of pre-service teachers faced during their teaching practicum. The pre-service teachers had to overcome various challenges that arose due to factors such as lack of competency in the medium of instruction and the students' varying levels of language ability. In addressing the challenges faced, they employed various strategies, including code switching and mixing, teacher-student collaboration, rephrasing and re-emphasizing, the use of instructional aids, and the use of analogies. The evidence presented in this study suggests that attention should be given to addressing the English language policy in the science teacher education programme. (Contains 2 tables.)

This article details an attempt to understand better how first-year doctoral students construct persuasive arguments in academic writing by exploring the patterns of boosters in drafts of doctoral research proposals. Eight Malaysian first-year ESL doctoral students produced 43 drafts of doctoral research proposals across four areas of study in education during their first year of doctoral studies. These drafts were analysed by coding the various linguistic items used to persuade readers of a text, and the analysis was based on Hyland's (2005) model of metadiscourse. Results show that the (i) overall frequency of booster markers used is relatively low (n=158), reinforcing the argument that first-year doctoral students lack understanding about the interaction between booster markers and the context in a more complicated discussion in academic writing such as the doctoral research proposal. Then, the (ii) further analysis of booster marker sub-categories indicates that Malaysian first-year doctoral students struggle to make appropriate booster markers with different meanings and strengths in academic writing when used in context. Therefore, our study suggests that direct and explicit teaching of using various booster markers categories should be implemented in postgraduate writing courses to heightened the students' perceptiveness regarding semantic features associated with creating convincing arguments in academic writing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teachers, like other professionals, are sometimes bound to change places of living, particularly when such a change takes the teachers to an entirely different country with a distinctive culture. This paper aims to trace three Saudi EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teachers who moved from Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) to Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) to pursue their professional careers further. The main objective of the paper is to examine how the sociocultural context influences the professional identity formation of EFL teachers. The data of the study were collected through classroom observations and in-depth interviews that were then analyzed thematically. Findings of the study led to the emergence of four distinctive themes that include language-related identity, context-related identity, practiced and responsive teaching skills, and membership in Communities of Practice. Findings underscore the dynamic nature of language teacher identities as participants find themselves in different English language teaching contexts. Additionally, the findings highlight the important role of professional settings in supporting teachers' professional identity development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research in academic writing initially focuses on the output of writing, but it is now increasingly turned to writer identity. This article analyses how the acceptance of self as academic writers is difficult. The acceptance of self as an academic writer is quite complex, especially for first-year doctoral students who must engage with the demands of academic language in an academic context. Research acknowledges that self-acceptance as academic writers come with many implications and doctoral students are often hesitant to describe themselves as academic writers. This article seeks to address this complexity through empirical research focused on self-perception in the construction of an academic writer identity. This study involved ten first-year ESL doctoral students in the field of education at an established Malaysian institution. From the findings of this study, we identify four aspects that they experienced in becoming academic writers: creator, interpreter, communicator and academic presenter. These four aspects are experienced in different ways by each participant, illustrated by narratives of their life history and writing practice. In particular, it is hoped that this article can provide some pedagogical implications for the teaching of academic writing in institutes of higher education and offer a lens through which researchers and teachers of writing can further explore academic writer identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metadiscourse refers to linguistic items, which functions to establish a connection with imagined readers of a text (Hyland, 2004). The use of metadiscourse has received much attention in various contexts, yet, little works are focusing on disciplinary metadiscourse, that has been carried out. To address this gap, this study explored, described, and compared the use of disciplinary metadiscourse by eight Malaysian first-year ESL doctoral students across four areas of study in education. The study reported in this article focuses on development or changes in writing over time. This study is quantitative in nature with a corpus-based approach utilizing AntConc (3.4.4) to examine the frequency of three dimensions of academic discourse in their writing, namely textual, engagement, and evaluative The results of this analysis show that (i) the engagement dimension (3.1%) was the lowest of all three dimensions in written work, reinforcing the argument that first-year ESL doctoral students are less experienced at using textual metadiscourse resources, and (ii) frequency of all three dimensions of academic discourse in their writing differs across time between first written drafts to the final written drafts. These are first-year ESL doctoral students, who are writing in different fields of educational research. The implication is that teaching and learning of disciplinary metadiscourse should involve explicit explanation, demonstration, and practice of its use, and development in the academic writing process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our previous study examined the mutual intelligibility of Malaysian English to Swedish listeners and Swedish English to Malaysian listeners. The results showed that Swedish listeners did not understand the Malaysian speaker well. In the present study, the Malaysian speaker was trained to alter her realization of the word stress, consonant clusters and long vowels in a way that previous research has found intelligible for both native and non-native English speakers. The audible and measurable alteration significantly increased the intelligibility of the speaker for Swedish listeners. This indicates that the three phonetic features are important for intelligibility in international contexts and suggests including the word stress in the Lingua Franca Phonetic Core. Moreover, we discuss that Malaysian English being a dialect and Swedish English being a similect may be relevant to their mutual intelligibility and relate the discussion to teaching English pronunciation in countries where English has been localized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Although the impact of reflective journal writing (RJW) on enhanced learning has a long history, studies on this pedagogical tool for enhanced learning are never exhausted. This study attempts to highlight enhanced self-directed learning through the use of reflective journal (RJ) among Malaysian diploma nursing students. Methodology: For this study, eight purposefully selected pre-registered student nurses (PRSN) from a public college contributed over 54 reflective journal entries over two months. Through a qualitative content analysis, the journals were analyzed using a model devised by Mezirow (1990) that was previously used by Kember (1999), Chirema (2007), and Kear (2013) to identify the students' levels of reflection of content/descriptive, process/practical, and premise/critical reflection resembling Transformative Learning Theory (TLT). Findings: The findings suggested that RJ helps learners become in control of themselves from the early stage of a clinical environment. They expressed their appreciation towards collaborations and are grateful to be able to express their feelings and emotions of "fears" and "trust". Further, they indicated their mindfulness to appreciate their levels of knowledge and skills through reflection upon the nursing tasks as they make themselves ready to be a future nurse. Furthermore, it was highlighted that feeling competent and being able to work independently and to make sound decisions would not be realized if they could not think critically from the initial stage of clinical environment. Contributions: This research confirms that PRSN become more self-directed and highly motivated to develop critical thinking to dispose for their better lifelong learning through the use of reflective journals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: The recently implemented Dual Language Program (DLP) policy in Malaysian schools may require teachers involved in the initiative to make necessary changes in their teaching practices in appropriate directions. It may also challenge the beliefs that these teachers hold with regard to teaching subject matter in English as a medium of instruction. Thus, this study seeks to investigate the beliefs of primary Science teachers with regards to the teaching of Science through the English medium, and the extent to which the beliefs of teachers are consistent with their classroom practices. Methodology: The study employed a quantitative data collection and analysis approach. Science teachers' beliefs and stated practices were obtained via a questionnaire using the Likert-scale. The respondents of the study include 44 primary Science teachers in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, Malaysia. A Pearson correlation analysis was computed to examine the association between teachers' beliefs scale and the ratings of classroom practices. Findings: The results from the statistical analysis suggest that in teaching Science using the English language, the beliefs of the primary school teachers were not always aligned with their stated practices with regard to DLP. This discrepancy between the beliefs of science teachers and their stated instructional practices could be due to the lack of professional development sessions and contextual constraints. Contributions: This study extends work on content-based classrooms in the Malaysian context. Its findings contribute to the ongoing work on improving instructional practices in the DLP classrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In second/foreign language learning, it is hypothesised oral interaction facilitates language acquisition. Studies show that one aspect of interaction that promotes second/foreign language acquisition is through the process of negotiation, and one factor that influences interaction is the task or activity that learners are engaged in. Hence, it is the aim of this study to investigate if foreign language (FL) learners would engage in different negotiation strategies when completing different communication task types. Nine FL learners from a tertiary EFL class in groups of three participated in the study. They completed three different communication task types (i.e., information gap, jigsaw and decision-making) over a period of four weeks. Data for the study comprised transcribed recordings of the groups' oral interaction. This study qualitatively examined FL learners' oral interactions when engaged in three different types communication tasks. Data collected were analysed for instances of negotiation. Findings revealed that the different communication tasks elicited negotiation episodes as the participants engaged in task completion. They applied similar negotiation strategies during peer interaction. However, further scrutiny revealed that there were differences in terms of the depth of negotiation for the different communication task types. The results of this study exhibit evidence that language communication tasks do promote meaningful interactions among tertiary EFL learners. Data clearly showed widespread negotiation episodes during task completion. The knowledge on the types of communication tasks that can promote meaningful interaction and negotiation episodes can assist language practitioners to make informed decisions on tasks that are suitable for their learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In using English as an international language (EIL), one important issue is mutual intelligibility among EIL speakers from different language backgrounds. The present study investigates the crosslinguistic intelligibility of Malay-accented English and Swedish-accented English, regarding the three phonetic features - word stress pattern, consonant clusters, and long vowel in particular. We prepared 15 English statements that are evidently true or false if understood, and examined to what extent the three phonetic features are related to 30 Swedish and 38 Malaysian listeners' understandings of the statements read by a speaker from the other language group. We compared the Malaysian and Swedish listeners' answers given with understanding as well as processing time to respond. The listeners' own accounts of their struggles in understanding the speakers' pronunciations were also analyzed. Results show that Malaysian listeners easily understood Swedish-accented English, while Swedish listeners struggled to understand Malay-accented English. The difference between the two groups of listeners seems to be closely related to the degree of the realization of the three phonetic features by the speakers as well as to the degree of the use of these features as perceptual cues by the listeners. Based on the findings, we discuss potential phonetic core features of EIL for intelligibility and some pedagogical implications for teaching English pronunciation to the learners of the language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has shown that teachers' beliefs on teaching and learning exert an influence on their actual classroom practices. In the teaching of English pronunciation, teachers' beliefs play a crucial role in the choice of pronunciation components taught in the ESL classrooms. This paper explores teachers' beliefs about teaching English pronunciation in Malaysian classrooms and the extent to which these beliefs influenced the teachers' classroom instructions. Employing a multiple case study of five ESL teachers in secondary schools, this study investigated the beliefs the teachers have formed about pronunciation focused areas and classroom practices in teaching English pronunciation. Data were collected through actual classroom observations and semi-structured interviews with the teachers and students. The findings of the study found that ESL teachers seem to believe that pronunciation skills are to be taught integratedly with other English language skills. Results also indicate a discrepancy between these teachers' beliefs on the focused areas of pronunciation and the stated curriculum specifications. Additionally, the ESL teachers seem to have vague and contradictory beliefs about pronunciation focused areas. These beliefs are based on their previous language learning and professional experience as well as other contextual factors such as examination demands and time constraints. As a result, these beliefs lead to the pronunciation component being neglected despite it being stipulated by the curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study is to gain an insight into novice ESL teachers' diverse experiences as mentees in a mentoring programme, the Native Speaker Programme. Employing a multiple case study, the study was conducted among four novice primary school ESL teachers in Malaysia through in-depth interviews and observations. The findings indicated that there are two sides of the coin of being the mentees in the Native Speaker Programme, positive as well as less positive experiences. While some of the novice teachers had the opportunity to work with mentors with positive personal qualities who played constructive roles in facilitating their professional development through effective mentoring strategies, some experienced the opposite. The two contradictory experiences represent two sides of the same coin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents how a study that investigated the acquisition of second language academic literacy skills practised the qualitative methodology, interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), from a realist perspective. We share the rationale behind the methodological decisions made in the study, which is followed by a detailed description of the methodological practice. In addition, the evaluation of the study against the realist criteria is reported, and some implications of using IPA based on realism for educational research are discussed. Overall, we suggest that IPA practice from a realist perspective helps go beyond postmodernism paradigms that seems to exert considerable influence on qualitative research in education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teaching Science in English is one of the most important changes made in the education policy in Malaysia recently. In order to understand the impact this language policy has on prospective teachers, this study was conducted to find out how pre-service teachers of science cope with the challenges of teaching through the medium of the English language during their teaching practicum, 154 trainees enrolled in the Bachelor of Education in Science program at a local university participated in this study. Data is drawn from survey questionnaires with the student teachers so as to examine the instructional strategies used to cope with language related problems while teaching Science. Based on the results of this study, the researchers discussed implications for professional development in teacher training programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malaysia implemented its new education policy of teaching mathematics and science in English in 2003 in a move to keep abreast with global developments and have greater access to science, technology and business knowledge. In order to understand the impact that this new policy has on classroom practice, this study was conducted to find out how teachers of science met the challenges of teaching through the medium of the English language. Fifty three science teachers from various secondary schools located in a sub-urban area in the state of Selangor participated in this study. Questionnaires, written protocols and audio-taped interviews were used to obtain feedback from the teachers. The results indicated that the respondents faced pedagogical challenges such as lack of teaching skills in integrating content with language teaching and English language proficiency. In turn, they employed various strategies to cope with the challenges. Implications for teacher education and professional development are addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]