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This study investigated how students designed English academic oral presentations via a blended language learning environment. Data were collected from focus group interviews, observations of students, and instructor perspectives to explore how students develop academic presentation skills. In addition, a total of 36 oral presentations were assessed by a rubric and frequency counts of presentation language and features. By adopting an ecological approach, we identified the interactions between different factors that influenced learning. Interview findings and observations suggested students welcomed the immediacy of the technology and demonstrated signs of autonomous learning by self‐selecting the chat application Line for group collaboration. Participants preferred both online and face‐to‐face collaboration, as students discovered the limits of online communication. Results indicated that group oral presentations improved, with stronger introductions, linking devices, and visual elements. However, students had problems constructing conclusions and trouble linking the main ideas to the content. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic? Group oral presentation projects train students in 21st century competencies such as multimedia skills, critical thinking, problem solving, and collaboration.Cloud computing collaborative environments have the potential to help students develop language and communication skills.Users are aware of some of the affordances of mobile devices for language learning. What this paper adds? A description of the design and development of a blended language learning environment (BLLE) for English undergraduate oral presentations.Identified improvements in oral presentation introductions, cohesion, and visual elements from using this BLLE.Provides deep, qualitative insights on student perspectives for collaborative, mobile‐based learning from an ecological approach. Implications for practice and/or policy Oral presentation skills can be developed in a BLLE providing the instructor involves students in the design process.Instructors need to discover the right blend for language learners between online and face‐to‐face collaboration to facilitate project development.Collaboration, instruction, effective learning technology, and convenience are the four main factors that interact and influence how students develop and perform group oral presentations in a BLLE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This paper reports on the prevalence of student victimization by teachers in junior high schools in a Chinese cultural context (Taiwan) and examines how student demographic variables (gender, grade level, and family socioeconomic status) and school social experiences (student–teacher relationships and involvement with at-risk peers) are associated with such victimization. Methods: Data were obtained from a large-scale random sample of 1,376 junior-high students (grades 7–9) in the city of Taichung, Taiwan. Students were given an anonymous structured questionnaire, including items regarding basic demographics and school social experiences. Results: Overall, 26.9% of students reported having been maltreated by teachers at least 1 time in the previous semester. Hitting, beating, or slapping was the most common maltreatment, and the most vulnerable students were boys and senior students. Students who perceived that student–teacher relationships were poor, and those who were involved with at-risk peers, were more likely to report victimization. Conclusion: Although there are clear guidelines and regulations prohibiting teacher aggression against students, Taiwanese students are still exposed to high levels of maltreatment. The findings provide empirical evidence to support school social workers and policymakers in taking immediate action to educate politicians, the general public, and the media about the severity of student victimization by teachers as well as to build up mechanisms to supervise the government's enforcement of regulation. These findings clearly imply that promoting positive social experiences for students is crucial for successful intervention. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Situated in an MA TESOL program in a large Taiwanese university, this study is a qualitative case study on two advising relationships. Three central issues were examined closely: (a) the nature of the advising relationships; (b) the challenges students encountered in the process of completing their theses; and (c) the advisors and advisee’s learning from the advising relationships. It was found that both advising relationships could best be described as hierarchical and largely fit description of the teaching model. Meanwhile, one of the biggest challenges the two students faced was the writing of their theses in English. Both advisors and advisees also learned from their advising relationships. To conclude the paper, a few future research directions are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on codeswitching (CS) as a strategy employed by teachers in their EFL (English as a foreign language) classrooms in two commercial bushibans or cram schools in Taipei, Taiwan. More specifically, we are concerned with the perceived functions of CS in the EFL classroom context and the extent to which these constitute sources of conflict and tension. CS can be evaluated both positively and negatively. Policy makers, at both the national and school level, tend to view CS as undesirable within the language learning classroom, favouring an 'English-only' rule. However, the prevalence of CS among experienced teachers seems to suggest that it has some positive function in the educational process. Functional and temporal analysis of transcribed classroom interactions reveals the strategic ways in which the teachers use CS to shape and guide their classes. We conclude that 'English-only' is a lazy rule in that it means that we do not have to think about when and where CS is valid and useful and where and when it is pedagogically invalid and less than useful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]