Search

This paper focuses on integrating multimodal communication into the English-as-a-foreign-language classroom to enhance the development of students' multimodal communicative competence, multiliteracies, and 21st-century skills. To do so, I compiled a corpus of authentic materials from Lady Whistledown's Society Papers in Julia Quinn's novel "The Viscount Who Loved Me" (2000), her appearances as narrator in the Netflix series "Bridgerton" (2022), and some tweets posted by @Bridgerton. This corpus was used to plan and design a game-based teaching proposal. Finally, the paper offers a critical analysis and suggests how this proposal can feasibly contribute to fostering students' multimodal communicative competence.

While gamified technology integration in vocabulary instruction within a flipped classroom has yielded beneficial teaching outcomes, specific studies have raised concerns about potential adverse effects linked to this approach. As a result, conducting a comparative analysis between gamified technology and conventional paper-based methods within the flipped classroom framework has become essential. This analysis aims to foster the development of a targeted teaching approach that adeptly addresses the unique needs of students. This study employed a sequential explanatory research design to examine the effectiveness of flipped classroom with gamified technology and paper-based method in teaching vocabulary to students with different proficiency levels. Quantitative data was gathered from a pretest and a posttest, whilst qualitative data was collected through teachers' guided reflection. Using Academic Word List (300 target words), control groups employed a paper-based, while experimental groups applied gamified technology ("Quizlet," "Kahoot!," "Quizizz," "Socrative," and "Google Form"), which lasted 10 weeks. The participants were 144 non-English major students who took a general English course in the 2nd semester of 2023. Quantitative data analysis ran in SPSS 25 using "Paired Sample t-Test" and "One-way ANOVA." The qualitative data were analyzed using thematic progression. The results showed that gamified technology did not affect students' learning outcomes, while the paper-based method resulted conversely. It revealed that the paper-based method is more effective than gamified technology for students in general, with low proficiency and high-proficiency level. Further, teachers' beliefs admitted distinctive issues that gamified technology was more effective for high-proficiency learners, whereas paper-based was more effective for low-proficiency learners. The difference analysis of quantitative and qualitative data sheds light on discussing threats while implementing gamified technology and possible solutions.

A challenging step in any qualitative research project is data coding and analysis. If the data coding is done appropriately, it will lead the researchers to develop patterns or themes and to make final inferences about the research problem. As such, qualitative researchers are supposed to take systematically informed steps and procedures to perform qualitative data coding and analysis. However, this is not as easy as it might be thought, and even published articles might fall short of providing a thorough explanation of their methods and procedures, making it difficult for other researchers, especially early career researchers, to aim for replication of the study. This article presents a review of the methods and data coding and analysis procedures in the field of L2 writing as a case in point. We scrutinized and analyzed all 168 articles with a qualitative orientation published in the "Journal of Second Language Writing" (JSLW) over its lifecycle. We present the results and discuss some articles to illustrate how L2 writing researchers handled qualitative data coding and analysis and showcase problematic areas. The outcomes of the review and analysis, including the showcase articles, provide some tips and guidelines for prospective L2 writing researchers and other stakeholders more broadly.

Despite Palestinian university students' problems with the Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-based Test, no researchers approached this research area in the Palestinian English as a Foreign Language context. The present study attempted to answer a question focusing on Palestinian university students' problems with the reading sections of the Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-based Test and the revised Test of English as a Foreign Language paper-delivered test. The participants were 65 fourth-year students studying English at Al-Aqsa University. The researcher employed four instruments: a test, a group semi-structured interview, and two individual semi-structured interviews. Results showed the students' problems with the reading sections of the two types of tests, such as the irrelevance of the topics of the tests to the students' content background knowledge, students' lack of exposure to lengthy passages, students' slow reading speed, and the students' lack of linguistic proficiency. Additionally, the study offered many recommendations for Educational Testing Service experts and Al-Aqsa university students and instructors.

It is unknown whether and to what extent cognitive individual differences may play different roles in paper versus computer-based second language (L2) writing. This exploratory study is a first attempt to explore this issue, focusing on the effects of working memory and language aptitude on the quality of paper versus computer-based L2 writing performance. Forty-two Spanish learners of L2 English performed a problem-solving task either digitally or on paper, took a working memory n-back test, and completed LLAMA tests to measure language aptitude. The quality of their L2 written texts was assessed in terms of complexity, accuracy and fluency (CAF) measures. The results indicated that the role of cognitive individual differences may vary depending on the writing environment.

This study compared the effects of computer-mediated (CM) versus pen-and-paper (P&P) writing on written accuracy and feedback processing in tasks written and rewritten collaboratively following a pedagogical treatment in two intact authentic classrooms. The study involved 32 secondary education low-proficiency English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) learners writing two descriptive texts collaboratively and receiving in-class training in the identification and correction of grammatical, lexical, and mechanical errors. Participants were provided with unfocused direct error correction (EC). Error logs were used to facilitate noticing of teacher corrections (i.e., feedback processing). Dyads were required to rewrite their texts for evidence of feedback uptake. Results indicate that writing collaboratively on the computer with the availability of the Internet contributes to increased grammatical and lexical accuracy. No differences were found between writing environments regarding feedback processing or accuracy of rewritten texts.

Using standardized tests such as paper-based TOEFL with three subtests for classroom assessment is restricted by the length of the test, which is usually longer than the class duration. Therefore, it is significant to be able to predict other subtests by conducting only one subtest. Therefore, the current study aimed to calculate prediction coefficients, enabling teachers to predict scores in paper-based TOEFL by conducting only one subtest. The data to create the prediction models were obtained from 2,030 scores of Institutional TOEFL, i.e. paper-based TOEFL without writing subtest. The prediction coefficient was calculated by using linear regression analysis. The result shows that the listening comprehension sub-score predicts the TOEFL score more accurately (MSE of 520) than other sub-scores (MSE of 553 and 587). The intercept for listening comprehension sub-score was 373.07, 357.14 for structure & written expression, and 364.19 for reading comprehension. In addition, the slope for each sub-score was 4.07, 5.96, and 4.63, respectively. Therefore, a listening test should be used in predicting the overall TOEFL scores for an accurate prediction.

The study explores the unaddressed washback on the English-speaking test of the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE-English Language Paper 4). The HKDSE is a university entrance exam in Hong Kong which includes a group discussion speaking test known as English Language Paper 4. To identify ongoing washback effects, including sociocultural perspectives, the study analyses ongoing student washback of test-specific and non-specific preparation and how the mediating factors affect these preparations. One-hundred and ninety-nine secondary 4th to 6th grade students provided the questionnaire data in two rounds. Results from exploratory factor analysis indicate six major types of test preparation, which are categorised as two test specific, three non-specific, and one integrated type of preparation. Mediating factors comprise five categories of learner characteristics and stakeholders in and out of school. The cluster analyses identified four students' groups intertwined with the involvement of washback and the mediating factors. A strong relationship between extrinsic factors and explicit learning and intrinsic factors and implicit learning was found. The study concludes that students' washback is affected by mediating factors aside from the test; learning method choice by students (e.g. learning from entertainment content) has a strong relationship with specific mediating factors (e.g. interest in English).

This article hypothesizes that one of the reasons for Chinese EFL learners' rigid use of nominalization and insufficient use of hedging in academic writing can be attributed to the unclear understanding of the relationship between these two expressions. The aim of the research is to first prove and then explain the possible co-occurrence of nominalization and hedging in scientific papers, with the intention of deepening Chinese EFL learners' understanding of the reasons for their possible co-occurrence. After a corpus-assisted statistical analysis of sixty abstracts selected from leading scientific journals written by native English speakers, it's been found that there is indeed a tendency for nominalization and hedge to co-occur both at the textual-level and clause-level. Besides, a tentative analysis is conducted to explain the pattern of their co-occurrence. It has been observed that the number of nominalized expressions in clauses is inversely correlated with the probability degree of hedging, and the position of nominalization in the clause (theme or rheme) influences the generalization level of hedging. The research results could shed light on the pedagogic approach in improving Chinese EFL learners' academic writing by making evident that the elusive Grammatical Metaphor competence could be enhanced by deepening the understanding of the inter-relationship between seemingly different in-congruent expressions like nominalization and hedges.

This paper aims to further understand the future development of literacy theory and language learning in contemporary Chinese universities through the research on the current situation of EFL students' literacy in Chinese universities and the teaching characteristics of contemporary Chinese teachers. In this study, literature analysis method, literature comparison analysis method, literature synthesis method and other analytical methods were used to obtain the results. Based on our results, the lack of literacy training is an extremely important reason for the defects of literacy skills of contemporary Chinese college EFL students in the process of language learning. The strengthening of literacy training is one of the key measures to improve the comprehensive level of literacy of contemporary Chinese college EFL students in the process of their language learning. Theoretically, the future development of literacy theories and language learning among contemporary Chinese college EFL students is bound to closely connect with the new theory of multiliteracies and critical literacy in literacy development and the multiliteracies teaching methodology in language learning. Practically, the new theory of multiliteracies puts forward a series of hypotheses for school literacy education to cope with the drastic changes facing the world today. At the same time, the critical literacy theory is rooted in critical education theory, focusing on the important role of literacy in the formation of individual human values. Besides, the multiliteracies teaching methodology in language learning explores how to change traditional teaching methods, effectively using multimedia resources, and cultivating language learners' skills of multiliteracies.

The study reported in this article compared two different inductive instructional methods implemented in a Business English writing training, including paper-based instruction (PPI) and product-based instruction (PDI). It assessed the effectiveness and examined practical issues of the implementation of each method. A total of 46 Thai students majoring in a Business English program at a Thai university participated in this study. The students were randomly divided into two groups and put into either the PPI or PDI training module. The researcher collected data from direct observations, focused-group discussions, and students' writing scores. Qualitative data from the focused-group discussions and observation field notes were analyzed thematically using the grounded theory, while cross-examination was utilized for students' writing scores. The study results indicate that the fundamental dichotomies between both approaches include tangibility, authenticity, and contextuality. Students' difficulties in formulating grammar and writing rules on their own and students' perception of learning as a burden were found as challenges in both modules. The findings also indicate that both the PPI and PDI modules trigger classroom dynamics and a positive atmosphere; however, PDI resulted in more vigorous dynamics as student movements and interactions were relatively higher. Finally, this study's findings are beneficial for instructors seeking innovative instructional methodology to improve their Business English writing teaching. The study has contributed to the field of teaching Business English writing. The study's findings have helpful implications for lecturers of Business English writing, who are looking for a teaching approach that enables them to create opportunities for students to learn in authentic, professional environments, contexts, and cultures cast in real-life business situations.

Designing standardized exams for EFL undergraduates is a matter of great concern in pedagogical practices that assess learners' academic achievements. This case study was conducted at Majmaah University, Saudi Arabia, to explore the significance of educational exam standardization and its impact on the process of implementation, leading to a balanced and equitable assessment of English language skills. During the study, 250 final English skill exam questions of two semesters were analyzed. A mixed-method approach using a questionnaire and Focused Group Discussion was adopted to collect relevant data. The quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS 16, and the qualitative data was processed by thematic analysis. The quantitative data results showed that questions were balanced, valid, and reliable in language skill exam papers designed for undergraduate English students. The qualitative data revealed four major themes -- standardization of questions, the efficacy of Bloom's taxonomy, assessment/evaluation, and alignment of the question with learning outcomes. These emerging themes highlighted the effectivness of standardizing exam papers, identified problems, and suggested ways of improvement. The study indicates that exams must be scrutinized for the sake of standardization in terms of maximum course coverage; the variety in the question item; clear, concise, and precise instructions; validity and reliability of exam papers; and the alignment of questions with the course and program learning outcomes to ensure the implementation of the revised Bloom's taxonomy. The study suggests, to generalize the results, that further investigation should be done in another Saudi university for the sake of comparison.

Incorporating counterarguments can be challenging for many student-writers, including those for whom English is a second or other language. In this study, we present findings that may lead to improvements in students' understanding of the benefits of integrating counterarguments. In our study, expert readers were presented with excerpts of student academic writing in order to assess the degree to which counterarguments could be identified through student deployment of metadiscoursal features. The results suggest that student-writers deploy metadiscoursal features with insufficient frequency and consistency. The results further suggest that when metadiscoursal features are used in counterarguments, their deployment is largely restricted to the sentence-initial position. The study also considers the pedagogical and technological issues associated with the findings.

Computer-based test (CBT) and paper-based test (PBT) are two test modes to the test takers that have been widely adopted in the field of language testing or assessment over the last few decades. Due to the rapid development of science and technology, it is a trend for universities and educational institutions striving rather hard to deliver the test on a computer. Therefore, research on the comparison between these two test modes has attracted much attention to investigate whether the PBT could be completely replaced. At the same time, task difficulty is always a key element to reflect test takers' performances. Numerous studies have laid a solid foundation and guidance about the comparative study of test takers' performance on CBT and PBT, but there still remains a scarcity from the perspective of task difficulties with different Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) task levels in particular. This study, therefore, compared the test takers' performance on both CBT and PBT across tasks with different CEFR levels. A total of 289 principal recommended high school test takers from Macau took the pilot Test of Academic English (TAE) at a local university. The results indicated that there was a difference between test takers' performance on different test modes across different CEFR levels, but only CEFR A2 level showed a statistically difference between CBT and PBT. And since science and technology are continuously developing, it is essential for the university to consider switching the test mode from PBT to CBT.

One of the most critical steps in the test development process is defining the construct, or the knowledge, skills, or abilities, to be assessed. This foundational step provides the basis for initial assumptions about the meaning of test scores and serves as a reference for subsequent validity research. In this paper, we describe the purpose of the redesigned "TOEIC Bridge"® 4 skills assessments and elaborate the theoretical basis of its construct definition. We also describe how an evidence-centered design (ECD) approach was used to develop the redesigned TOEIC Bridge assessments and the first stage of that approach, the domain analysis. The domain analysis begins by elaborating a clearer definition of the context in which language is evaluated by the redesigned TOEIC Bridge assessments, "everyday adult life." Next, we review research literature and relevant language proficiency standards to highlight the knowledge, skills, and abilities relevant to beginner to low-intermediate English proficiency for everyday adult life. This information is synthesized in the construct definitions for reading, listening, speaking, and writing ability for beginner to low-intermediate levels of general English proficiency in the context of everyday adult life.

Using the newspaper as a medium of learning English is a unique way to stimulate students' interest in reading, since students at this age is a student who has dropped their interest in reading. Therefore, the researchers decided to use the newspaper as a medium to build students' vocabulary. Researcher chose participant in the study of class XB and XE in SMK 45 Lembang. The school gave these two classes as the sample, because believed that each class has the cognitive abilities and knowledge that are relatively equal. In this study, researchers randomly selected from among the two classes used as a sample for the Control and Experimental Class. As the result, researchers found class X E as Control class, and X B as an Experimental class. The study lasted for a full month, in which each class received different treatment. As a result, the Gain value of Experimental class is higher than the Control class. Moreover, based on the result of the data analysis with the Mann-Whitney U test method, it showed that that there were significant differences in Students' Vocabulary growth, between Control class and Experimental class. Based on the calculation of Non-parametric Mann- Whitney U test, the gain data between Experimental Class and Control Class show the value of Asymp Sig. (0.000), Z[alpha] (0.05) and the value of Z (4.847). Z [alpha] (1.96). Therefore, it can be concluded that the method of using newspaper as a teaching material has a positive impact in the absorption and growth in students' vocabulary.

Current trend in education has acknowledged the urgency to move students from the role of traditional receiver and echoer of information to the role of critical listener, speaker, reader, and writer. In so doing, the students need to embrace the role of text analysts who continuously question texts that they encounter. This study looked for indices of students' engagement in text analyst role. The data for the analysis were collected from 25 EFL university students' reviews which were randomly selected. Using the guidepost developed from Luke and Freebody's (1999) Four Resources Framework, the study highlighted points of information and/or questions or issues addressed in the students' writing which indicated students' role as text analysts. The study revealed that 40 percent of the students failed to practice the text analyst role. Meanwhile, those who addressed the role showcased five major patterns of indices: (1) questioned the trustworthiness of text, (2) recognized bias, (3) uncovered hidden intention/agenda, (4) identified harmed/benefitted party, and (5) provided alternate point of view/way of saying and/or personal standing. This study concludes that the students will be able to engage in text analyst role under two conditions (1) they are not struggling with the basic comprehension and (2) they have reached a state of habituation of mind in terms of questioning text. It is therefore recommended that the students be given sufficient time for familiarization and have continuous practices to make a critical approach to texts.

The purpose of this research is to experimentally evaluate how the "flipped classroom" model used to deliver Business English, which is commonly an integral part to the ESP course at tertiary schools of Economics in Ukraine, to the students majoring in Economics fosters students' critical thinking skills and improved their academic performances and what students' perceptions of this model are. The learning environment used a multimedia-based textbook entitled "Business skills through English". This was experimental research which used a mixed-methods approach. Students' critical thinking skills and academic performance (learning outcomes) were the variables for this study. Placement tests, needs analysis questionnaires, Course Satisfaction Questionnaire, a test to assess the students' critical thinking skills were used to collect the statistical data. Cronbach Alpha coefficient was applied to interpret the test on critical thinking data and SPSS AMOS statistical package programme was used to analyse the consolidated data. The study found that the "flipped classroom" model used to deliver ESP and Business English to the students majoring in Economics has the potential to provide a better learning experience for the students and teaching experience for the teachers. This model fosters students' critical thinking skills by involving them in problem-solving-based learning and improves their academic performances by increasing their responsibility for learning results and stimulating them to use different learning styles. Overall, the above model substitutes a teacher-centered with a student-centered approach that engages learners in the true-to-life business world and language environment. In this way, learning Business English and ESP at higher educational institutions in Ukraine is a move from just training memory (memorizing professionalism-related English vocabulary and doing grammar drills) to applying language as a learning medium in the specifically designed vocational contexts.

Using the newspaper as a medium of learning English is a unique way to stimulate students' interest in reading, since students at this age is a student who has dropped their interest in reading. Therefore, the researchers decided to use the newspaper as a medium to build students' vocabulary. Researchers chose participants in the study of class XB and XE in SMK 45 Lembang. The school gave these two classes as the sample, because believed that each class has the cognitive abilities and knowledge that are relatively equal. In this study, researchers randomly selected from among the two classes used as a sample for the Control and Experimental Class. As the result, researchers found class XE as Control class, and XB as an Experimental class. The study lasted for a full month, in which each class received different treatment. As a result, the Gain value of Experimental class is higher than the Control class. Moreover, based on the result of the data analysis with the Mann-Whitney U test method, it showed that that there were significant differences in Students' Vocabulary growth, between Control class and Experimental class. Based on the calculation of Non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test, the gain data between Experimental Class and Control Class show the value of Asymp Sig. (0.000), Z[alpha] (0.05) and the value of Z (4.847). Z[alpha] (1.96). Therefore, it can be concluded that the method of using newspaper as a teaching material has a positive impact in the absorption and growth in students' vocabulary. [Note: The page range (12-28) shown on the PDF is incorrect. The correct page range for this article is 12-27.]

The introduction and wide use of devices, especially mobile ones, has changed the way learners read and do research for a variety of reasons, and this trend has attracted a number of studies conducted regarding reading on screen and on paper in addition to those dealing with the students' behavior in using online resources to print ones. This paper aims at identifying the major findings and trends in reading research by describing the current state of knowledge and practice in the studies comparing reading on screen and on paper and to provide guidance for practitioners by analyzing and summarizing the existing research. The current review adopted a systematic review as the research methodology as well as the article selection and screening process. The articles published between 2009 and 2017 were reviewed, and 37 articles were included in the analysis. The review revealed that the research on onscreen and paper-based reading focused on comparing the learners' performances in reading activities in both contexts and sharing preliminary findings and students' views. However, the findings are inconclusive as mixed findings were produced as to the effects of reading on screen and on paper. Moreover, the review also indicates that practitioners are also interested in examining the factors and affordances in reading on screen. As a result, there is still further research needed to establish the factors affecting reading and comprehension while reading on screen and on paper.

Language used to report research findings and put forward arguments is at the heart of effective communication with readers. To this end, scholars use a variety of stylistic features. One of these is variety in language, which includes structures, lexis, and organization markers. Although much research has been conducted on these aspects, a particular feature has received limited interest from researchers: sentence openers, a strategic use of which helps authors develop an individual style, and avoid stagnant prose. This helps them maintain readers' interest while communicating scientific knowledge. Due to the importance of sentence openers in scientific prose, university students' awareness should be raised about this aspect of academic writing. This requires identification of commonly occurring sentence openers in the texts they study. It is also useful to identify student tendencies regarding sentence openers and their perceived competence in varying sentence openers. Prompted by these necessities, this research investigated a 10,949 running-word corpus compiled from professionally-written texts used in a first-year writing course, as well as a 42,070 running-word student corpus compiled from the reflective writing papers of 35 first-year students. Data on students' perceived competence were collected using a survey. Results showed that the two most frequent sentence openers in both corpora were subject-verb and transition markers. However, the latter were used by the students with significantly higher frequency than they were by the professional writers. Data also revealed that the students lack awareness of sentence openers as a feature for making writing more interesting. Students further reported an inability to use a wide range of sentence openers in their writing. Results are discussed, and recommendations are made for increasing students' skill in composing effective academic texts.

This study investigated the efficacy of explicit lexical collocation instruction via the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA). To improve competence in lexical collocation and writing performance and to examine whether collocational competence and writing performance have a linear interrelation, 16 international English for Academic Purposes students received training on the use of the COCA interface. They were asked to first analyze the lexical collocations used in an academic paper, then search COCA for collocations to see how they are used pragmatically, and, finally, write an academic research paper on their own. A dependent t-test measured significant differences in performance, and the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient identified the strength of the correlation between lexical competence and writing performance and their association with each other, respectively. The results showed that when students are given explicit instruction on how to utilize COCA to identify lexical collocations and their use in various contexts, both their lexical collocational competence and writing performance improves and, furthermore, these improvements correlate with each other. Implications for teaching lexical collocation are also discussed.

The current study was conducted to investigate whether test scores of Iranian English as Foreign Language (EFL) learners were equivalent across CBT and PBT modes, with 58 intermediate learners studying at a private language academy located in Behshahr city in northern Iran. Moreover, test takers' computer familiarity, attitudes, aversion, and testing mode preference were regarded as the potential issues to influence CBT test scores. Data were collected using CBT and PBT versions of Nelson Proficiency Multiple-Choice Tests and Computer Aversion, Attitudes, and Familiarity Index (CAAFI) questionnaire as well as a simple testing administration mode preference question. The participants produced similar scores across modes, although they insignificantly outperformed on the CBT version. Additionally, analysis of the overall scores on the CAAFI and mode preference question obtained from CBT testing session indicated no statistically significant correlation between computer familiarity, attitude, aversion, and mode preference variables and test takers' CBT scores. The qualitative findings of this study obtained by semi-structured interview revealed that most of the participants showed high preference and more advantages for CBT over PBT to rationalize why they preferred this mode of testing.

This article investigates the relative effectiveness of online and paper-based formative assessment in the learning of English as a second language. For this study, 74 Japanese university second language (L2) students took online quizzes, while 71 were given paper-based quizzes to complete. The quiz content was drawn from learning material found in the class textbook. Both groups were assigned the exercises as homework. At the end of the 15-week study period, both groups were administered a summative assessment that also covered learning points from the textbook. After controlling for the learners' L2 proficiency through their TOEIC test scores, the performance of the two groups on the formative quiz was compared through correlation and regression analysis. While there was found to be a statistically significant relationship between the online formative assessment and summative exam scores, this was not the case for the paper-based homework. When compared through an analysis of covariance, there was found to be a significant interaction between group and homework on exam scores. The online group was more affected by their homework score than the pencil and paper group. The findings from this study have implications for teachers, learners and curriculum developers.

This article reports the findings of a study that sought to investigate whether computer-based vs. paper-based test-delivery mode has an impact on the reliability and validity of an achievement test for a pedagogical content knowledge course in an English teacher education program. A total of 97 university students enrolled in the English as a foreign language (EFL) teacher education program were randomly assigned to the experimental group that took the computer-based achievement test online and the control group that took the same test in paper-and-pencil based format. Results of Spearman Rank order and Mann-Whitney U tests indicated that test delivery mode did not have any impact on the reliability and validity of the tests administered in either way. Findings also demonstrated that there was not any significant difference in test scores between participants who took the computer-based test and those who took the paper-based test. Findings were discussed in terms of the idea that computer technology could be integrated into the curriculum not only for instructional practices but also for assessment purposes.

Research Paper Writing (RPW) plays a key role in completing all research work. Poor writing could lead to the postponement of publications. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a program of (RPW) to improve RPW ability for EFL/ESL writers, especially for undergraduate students in Higher Education (HE) institutions, which has caught less attention of curriculum developers so far. Therefore, this study aims to determine the core components of (RPW) program perceived as essential for EFL/ESL undergraduate students using Process Genre Approach (PGA) to develop a program of RPW. The Delphi Technique (DT) was used to validate those components through the interviews of experts including two boards of ten experienced and qualified lecturers of TESOL and curriculum studies in Can Tho University (CTU) in Vietnam and Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). The results revealed that the core components of RPW program for EFL/ESL undergraduate students were determined and confirmed. This paper is therefore believed to make a great contribution to practical applications for RPW program developers, lecturers, undergraduate and postgraduate students in EFL/ESL contexts.

Source-based writing research has received much attention in recent years, which generally shows that both novice and expert EFL (English as a foreign language) writers have difficulties in writing from sources. As many Chinese institutes of higher education attach increasingly more importance to publications in international journals, citation and plagiarism become critical issues for both student and teacher researchers as well as the institutes. Nevertheless, not much research can be found on the issues with Chinese students, especially undergraduate students. The present study thus investigated Chinese undergraduate EFL learners' perceptions of plagiarism and use of citations in their course papers. A total of 141 students from a highly prestigious university answered an open-ended questionnaire and 97 of them submitted course papers. Major findings were: (1) the students had a (fairly) good knowledge of plagiarism and identified various reasons for plagiarism in academic writing, (2) they used summary the most often when citing from sources, followed by paraphrase and quotation, and (3) they mainly used single-source citations to primarily support their own ideas, position an author's opinions and/or findings, and acknowledge the author's ideas. These findings reveal a general overview of students' perceptions of plagiarism and use of citations in their course papers, thus providing implications for formal classroom instruction of writing from sources.

Advent of technology has caused growing interest in using computers to convert conventional paper and pencil-based testing (Henceforth PPT) into Computer-based testing (Henceforth CBT) in the field of education during last decades. This constant promulgation of computers to reshape the conventional tests into computerized format permeated the language assessment field in recent years. But, enjoying advantages of computers in language assessment raise the concerns of the effects that computerized mode of testing may have on CBT performance. Thus, this study investigated the score comparability of Vocabulary in Use test taken by 30 Iranian undergraduate students studying at a state university located in Chabahar region of Iran (CMU) to see whether scores from two administrations of testing mode were different. Therefore, two similar tests were administered to the male and female participants on two testing mode occasions with four weeks interval. Employing One-Way ANOVA statistical test to compare the mean scores and Pearson Correlation test to find the relationship between mode preference and performance revealed that two sets of scores were not different and gender difference was not also considered a variable that might affect performance on CBT. Based on the results, computerized version of the test can be considered a favorable alternative for the state undergraduate students in Iran.