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Objective: This study aims to examine the relationship between teachers' Emotional Intelligence (EI) and learners' perceptions of their teachers' verbal and non-verbal immediacy across gender in the Iranian EFL context. Methods and Materials: A descriptive-correlational design was employed, involving 210 learners (91 males and 119 females) and 30 teachers (13 males and 17 females) from three language institutes in Tabriz, Iran. Data were collected using the Verbal Immediacy Measure (VIM), Non-Verbal Immediacy Measure (NIM), and the Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i). The data were analyzed using SPSS, with normality tests, independent samples t-tests, Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA), and linear regression analyses performed to explore the relationships between variables. Findings: The results indicated no significant gender differences in verbal and non-verbal immediacy as perceived by learners (F(2, 207) = 1.59, p > 0.05, partial χ² = 0.01). However, female teachers were perceived to exhibit slightly higher levels of verbal immediacy (M = 73.63, SD = 0.24) compared to male teachers (M = 72.97, SD = 0.28), and higher levels of non-verbal immediacy (M = 53.99, SD = 0.20) compared to male teachers (M = 53.94, SD = 0.23). Significant gender differences were found in Emotional Intelligence (EI), with female teachers scoring higher (M = 3.80, SD = 0.08) than male teachers (M = 3.45, SD = 0.06), t(28) = 13.35, p < 0.01. EI was a significant predictor of teacher immediacy (R² = 0.13, F(1, 28) = 4.20, p = 0.05), particularly among female teachers (R² = 0.62, F(1, 15) = 24.49, p < 0.01). This suggests that higher EI contributes to more effective immediacy behaviors in the classroom, especially for female teachers. Conclusion: This study underscores the importance of Emotional Intelligence in enhancing teacher immediacy, particularly for female teachers in the Iranian EFL context. While both male and female teachers can effectively use immediacy behaviors, EI plays a more significant role for female teachers. The findings have important implications for teacher training programs, which should incorporate EI development to foster more supportive and engaging learning environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intercultural communication research has highlighted the significance of intercultural communication apprehension/anxiety measurement and instrument development in diverse sociocultural contexts. This study embarked on developing and validating a scale, the Perceived Intercultural Communication Anxiety/Apprehension Scale (PICAS) in the English as a foreign language (EFL) context. By drawing upon the review of the literature and expert judgment, a Likert scale with 52 items was developed for assessing the construct of intercultural communication anxiety/apprehension, which was subjected to exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with 760 Iranian EFL learners. The ultimate results of exploratory factor analysis evidenced 17 items with a stable five‐factor solution, comprising L2 proficiency, prejudice and stereotypes, significant others' attitudes, status, and context familiarity factors. The subsequent CFA confirmed the five‐factor model. The five‐factor PICAS was found to be psychometrically reliable and valid. Potential applications, future directions, and limitations are finally addressed. Practitioner points: The Perceived Intercultural Communication Anxiety/Apprehension Scale (PICAS) is comprised of five psychometrically sound subscales/factors that can assess intercultural communication apprehension/anxiety in English as a foreign language learners.The validation demonstrated good internal consistency reliability and construct validity of the PICAS.L2 educators and school counselors can benefit from the information gained through this scale to help students reduce intercultural anxiety and negative or prejudicial perceptions of the target language group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the language assessment literacy (LAL) level and language testing and assessment (LTA) needs of 57 English teachers at senior high school level in Taiwan. An LAL test, three quantitative questionnaires and a qualitative survey were administered, conveying the overall LAL level and LTA needs of the participants. The qualitative survey then elicited their perceptions of and perspectives on classroom-based assessments and national high-stakes tests with regard to a newly implemented national curriculum (i.e., 108-Curriculum). The results show that the teachers lack adequate LAL to varying degrees, depending on their demographic background. Additionally, the participants identified some assessment topics, from large standardized testing to applying test results. They also reported their greatest training needs: providing feedback, finding teaching content, and assessing integrated skills. The teachers' qualitative accounts generated five themes, from education in testing and assessment as a useful tool to the gap between classroom-based assessments and the national tests. The results not only refine assessment modules in the teacher education programme but suggest a direction for the assessment training of English teachers. The study concludes by suggesting future LAL investigations in the English-teaching context of Taiwan or wider international communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since teachers’ perceptions of work engagement can strongly shape their engagement level, it is imperative to explore how teachers perceive this construct and its associated dimensions. With this in mind, some researchers have evaluated teachers’ beliefs and attitudes towards this notion. Notwithstanding this, to the authors’ knowledge, no study has examined language teachers’ viewpoints on this variable and its significance in online EFL classes. To bridge these gaps, this phenomenological study explored Iranian EFL teachers’ perceptions and experiences of work engagement and its value in online English courses. To this aim, using the purposive sampling strategy, a total of 21 EFL teachers were chosen from different state, private, and non-profit universities in Iran. To obtain the required data, all participants were invited to complete an open- ended questionnaire. To reach more comprehensive data, from among the 21 participants, nine willingly took part in a 20-minute interview session. Results obtained from content analysis revealed that Iranian EFL teachers considered work engagement as a complex variable with four related dimensions of emotional, cognitive, behavioral, and social engagement. The results also indicated that Iranian teachers perceived work engagement as an important professional behavior that results in increased academic achievements, professional advancement, improved teaching quality, and strong teacher-student rapport. Hence, education leaders and teacher educators should support Iranian EFL teachers in enhancing work engagement dimensions to improve professional growth and teaching quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intercultural competence refers to people's ability to understand and respect each other across all types of cultural barriers, and racial literacy stands out as a fundamental component of this competency. Particularly, in Korea, which has recently rapidly become a multicultural society, understanding diversity and cultivating racial literacy are important competencies. To achieve this goal, the teacher's role is important in developing and operating English classes using various teaching materials. This study introduces the development and application of an innovative online intercultural exchange programme conducted in a middle school using multiple technology resources. Going beyond dealing with superficial textbook coverage of multiculturalism, this programme encourages students to reflect on their own prejudices and share cultural experiences through engaging in technology-based open discussions and critical thinking about sensitive issues. In this paper, we first introduce the online intercultural exchange programme and teaching materials that we designed and operated for one semester and then carefully examine each class activity aimed at improving students' intercultural competence and racial literacy. Finally, we report the presiding teacher's reflections on the impact of this programme on the students in the class and suggest points for further discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the realm of language skills, speaking holds a pivotal position, making it imperative for classroom instruction to place a strong emphasis on its development. Teaching English speaking skills to Nepali EFL (English as a Foreign Language) students poses a unique set of challenges owing to English's non-native status in Nepal. To tackle these challenges and enhance the speaking abilities of Nepali students, English teachers in Nepal must adopt innovative strategies due to the limited daily use of English in their environment. This classroom action research endeavors to enhance the English speaking proficiency of EFL students in Nepal through the implementation of various communicative activities. These activities include role play, impromptu speaking exercises, language games such as "who is telling the truth", video tapping, and discussions. The interventions were applied to a group of 60 undergraduate students at a university who were learning English as a foreign language. The data gathered from participant classroom observations and unstructured interviews underwent thematic analysis, resulting in the identification of six distinct themes. The results demonstrated a noteworthy improvement in students' English speaking skills, attributing this progress to the implementation of communicative activities. The findings underscore the effectiveness of communicative activities as interventions for enhancing the English speaking abilities of university-level EFL undergraduates. In light of these results, it is recommended that both students and teachers remain cognizant of the contextual and appropriate use of communicative activities as a means to further improve English speaking skills among EFL students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite an increase in ethnic diversity within the country, the English language teaching workforce remains undeniably binary in Korea. Using an intersectionality lens, this study was an exploration of the racialized experiences of one Ugandan female teacher of English working in Korean ELT. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to investigate how she perceived herself as an English speaker and teacher and how Koreans' stereotypes of ideal English teachers and Black people affected her professional identity and self-perceptions. Findings suggest that the Ugandan woman was rejected by the formal accreditation process and faced considerable challenges in her efforts to be accepted as a qualified English teacher in Korea. On the other hand, she perceived herself as a native-like English speaker and a fully qualified English teacher with an MA degree in TESOL and years of English teaching experience. This study reveals not only the practical difficulties of a biased assessment system, but also the narrow discourse concerning who can legitimately be recognized as an English teacher in Korea, which is at odds with the Korean policy of a pursuing multicultural society and honoring diversity and with the global trend of recognizing multiple English. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of second language (L2) learning is spontaneous, unreflective L2 use, relying primarily on implicit L2 knowledge. While most research has compared the methods and effects of explicit and implicit instruction, less attention has been given to individual differences (IDs) and their impact on implicit L2 knowledge. A sparse body of research has addressed the relationship between IDs and implicit L2 knowledge considering age effects and age-related language analytic ability, with conative and affective factors receiving scant attention. This paper, grounded in the control-value theory, advocates a holistic view to comprehensively investigate how language analytic ability, language learning motivation, learner beliefs, and foreign language anxiety can contribute to implicit L2 knowledge among Chinese postgraduate students. The findings indicate that cognitive, conative, and affective factors have direct or indirect effects on implicit L2 knowledge. Implications for L2 teaching and research are discussed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teachers and students frequently experience positive and negative emotions in EFL classrooms. Boredom is a negative feeling whose detrimental influence on various aspects of the learning process and achievement has been well established. However, in the EFL context, particularly among EFL teachers, this aspect remains under-examined. Using a mixed-methods research design, the current study examined 263 Iranian novice and experienced EFL teachers with online teaching experience to compare their state boredom and perceptions of its signs. For qualitative analysis, 15 novice and 15 experienced teachers were selected from the respondents to review their open-ended questionnaire answers. Additionally, 16 teachers participated in a semi-structured interview. The results of Mann-Whitney U-test revealed a significant difference in state boredom between teacher groups, with novice teachers experiencing higher level of boredom in online classrooms. Qualitative analysis using MAXQDA showed differing perceptions of boredom between novice and experienced teachers in online settings. Novice teachers primarily viewed boredom as attention failure, while experienced teachers had a deeper understanding, including loss of motivation and enthusiasm. The results suggest that targeted support and training for novice teachers in online environments are critical approaches to enhance engagement and reduce boredom, fostering a more comprehensive understanding of motivational factors.

This study aimed to explore Iranian EFL teachers' perceptions of Critical Pedagogy (CP) and their classroom practices. For this purpose, a total of 22 EFL teachers were selected through convenience sampling and participated in an online semi - structured written interview. A sub -group of them also took part in a phone interview. Textual data were analyzed using grounded theory coding types, including open, axial, and selective coding, with MAXQDA software (Version 2020). The findings revealed two broad themes: raising students' critical consciousness and learner -centered pedagogy for CP definition, and communicative tasks and learner -centered activities for CP classroom practices. Additionally, the dominant barriers to the implementation of CP in the Iranian EFL context were identified as the top -down educational system, teachers' variables, and practical barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educators, including English Language Teaching practitioners, acknowledge the influence of collaborative learning on students’ learning experiences, as demonstrated by numerous studies conducted in diverse contexts. This research, however, keeping instructional innovation, students’ collaborative engagement, language learning and classroom dynamics especially in the context of an Arab university where such studies are limited, examines the effect of a collaborative learning intervention program on EFL students’ English learning and social interactions in terms of teamwork, peer learning, and social intelligence. To achieve the study objective, the quasi-experimental design with two groups (experimental and control) was employed. The study was applied to a sample of prep-year university students who were randomly divided into two groups: control and experimental. While the experimental group studied English using collaborative learning skills, the control group studied following traditional ways of teaching. Both groups were assessed using a pre-and post-test (performance test) and an assessment card (social learning). In addition, teachers were interviewed about their views on how collaborative learning can strengthen EFL students’ social learning success. The result revealed statistically significant differences between the scores of the control and experimental groups in favor of the later, indicating that the intervention program highly helped students improve their English learning skills and enrich their social interaction. Finally, the interview analysis highlighted the ways to enhance EFL students' language learning and social interaction through group projects, discussion groups and debates, role-playing and simulations, diverse collaborative learning practices, and effective teacher facilitation. The findings imply that collaborative learning could be a potential treatment to help EFL learners enrich their social learning experience and success. Further research on collaborative learning’s extended impacts, teacher readiness, diverse assessment methods, and gender disparities are recommended to address the limitations of the current study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an increasing need to be literate and critical readers in the language learning and teaching process. In such a dynamic world, language learners should gain several insights into critical reading skills, such as analyzing and reflecting. Therefore, this study implies that the immersion of students in the literary world through the deconstruction of tasks using theme-based poetry could lead to an improvement in their reading and, subsequently, critical reading skills. This study focuses on the growing demand for language learners to develop critical reading skills, such as interpreting, making logical deductions, reflecting, and responding, in an ever-changing world. In this respect, it proposes that theme-based poetry through reconstructive tasks could improve students’ critical reading and thinking skills. An action research design involving 30 high school EFL students with English proficiency level B1 was utilized. Data were collected through three semi-structured focus group interviews and observation, analyzed by both the teacher researcher and an independent party to ensure reliability and credibility. The results showed that EFL high school students made notable progress in their critical reading skills with the help of theme-based poetry. Student feedback demonstrated a marked improvement in the critical reading skills of the students, which can be attributed to the incorporation of reconstructive analysis into theme-based poetry teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learners' beliefs are considered an essential factor that impacts foreign or second language learning. Moreover, learners' beliefs about the importance of grammar learning and grammar learning approaches are involved in an ongoing debate in applied linguistics. Therefore, the present study investigated learners' beliefs about the importance of grammar learning, how learners prefer to learn grammar (explicitly or implicitly), and why. 172 Saudi male EFL college students completed a survey. Among them, 24 students participated in four focus-group interviews. The quantitative data from the survey were collected, and the emerging themes from the qualitative data were determined. The findings show that grammar learning is important or very important to most learners. Around two-thirds of the learners preferred learning grammar explicitly, whereas around one-third preferred implicit grammar learning. Learners reported different beliefs about their preferences for grammar learning approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educators, including English Language Teaching practitioners, acknowledge the influence of collaborative learning on students’ learning experiences, as demonstrated by numerous studies conducted in diverse contexts. This research, however, keeping instructional innovation, students’ collaborative engagement, language learning and classroom dynamics especially in the context of an Arab university where such studies are limited, examines the effect of a collaborative learning intervention program on EFL students’ English learning and social interactions in terms of teamwork, peer learning, and social intelligence. To achieve the study objective, the quasi-experimental design with two groups (experimental and control) was employed. The study was applied to a sample of prep-year university students who were randomly divided into two groups: control and experimental. While the experimental group studied English using collaborative learning skills, the control group studied following traditional ways of teaching. Both groups were assessed using a pre-and post-test (performance test) and an assessment card (social learning). In addition, teachers were interviewed about their views on how collaborative learning can strengthen EFL students’ social learning success. The result revealed statistically significant differences between the scores of the control and experimental groups in favor of the later, indicating that the intervention program highly helped students improve their English learning skills and enrich their social interaction. Finally, the interview analysis highlighted the ways to enhance EFL students' language learning and social interaction through group projects, discussion groups and debates, role-playing and simulations, diverse collaborative learning practices, and effective teacher facilitation. The findings imply that collaborative learning could be a potential treatment to help EFL learners enrich their social learning experience and success. Further research on collaborative learning’s extended impacts, teacher readiness, diverse assessment methods, and gender disparities are recommended to address the limitations of the current study.

Online learning can be considered an important means of education during emergencies. However, educational institutions, including students and teachers, need to have enough preparation, as a result, many issues, such as challenges, the effectiveness of assessment methods, and attitudes toward learning online, have emerged. This study describes the reality of using the Blackboard platform to learn EFL listening and speaking skills from a student perspective. It examines students' experiences and attitudes in learning EFL listening and speaking skills via Blackboard. Also, it reflects students' views on the acquired EFL listening and speaking skills, challenges of learning via Blackboard, and the effectiveness of assessment methods. The study followed the descriptive-diagnostic approach to achieve its objectives. The results showed that students highly valued the Blackboard platform to learn listening and speaking skills. Also, they liked to be assessed using the online assessment methods. In addition, students' most technical problems were recorded during exams and virtual classes due to poor Internet. Furthermore, they improved their learning of listening and speaking skills via Blackboard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

English textbook that contains local content can be considered more interesting and easier to understand and use by students and teachers. Therefore, this study aims to analyze teachers and students’ perception on using local-content English textbook for senior high school. This study employed mixed-method research by involving 37 seven certified English teachers who had 10 years or above experiences in teaching English in senior high schools in Bengkulu and 100 students. The instruments of this study were questionnaire and interview guideline. The quantitative data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics, while the qualitative data were analyzed by using eduction, displaying and conclusion. The result showed that teachers had positive perception on using Bengkulu local content English textbooks. It can be proved by looking at the majority of English teachers answered strongly agree and agree in the questionnaire. Another result indicated that students gave positive responses on local textbook which covers Bengkulu culture. It can be seen that most of students were happy to see the pictures or other things related to Bengkulu local culture in English textbook. In short, English textbook with local content is essential to be used for students and teachers because it would encourage students to learn English.

Pragmatic failure is an issue usually occurring in cross-cultural communication when L2 learners cannot express themselves appropriately. This study aimed to discern the factors leading to cross-cultural pragmatic failure (CCPF) and the challenges EFL learners face in trying to overcome miscommunication problems. Following a qualitative research design, in the first study phase, one of the researchers observed 10 EFL teachers’ classes for 90 minutes each, twice a week during the term to take the required field notes for further analysis. To obtain more in-depth information, in the second phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 EFL teachers and learners, and the data were collected. The EFL teachers were from private English language institutes, and the student participants were EFL learners studying either in state-run universities or private language centers. The results of the thematic analysis revealed that EFL classroom context, time and budget, assessing pragmatic knowledge, ELT textbook, and teacher education were perceived as the causes of CCPF by the interviewees. Moreover, the extracted themes associated with learners’ challenges included linguistic incompetency, investing insufficient time and effort, psychological factors, cultural and sociocultural differences, inappropriate teaching methodology, and teachers’ pragmatic competence.

In the era of globalization, when cultural diversity and multilingualism cross borders, specific changes have been observed in human relations and educational implementations. Such changes in multicultural and multilingual contexts have made it necessary to create novel pedagogies for language teaching by tailoring traditional teaching and learning approaches. Therefore, adapting language teaching methods and techniques to multilingual and multicultural classrooms through translanguaging is one of the hottest issues in the current literature. Remarkably, the primary purpose of this present study is to portray a theoretical understanding of translanguaging and further discuss the pedagogical aspect of it in the Turkish context through an integrative review methodology. To this end, five research studies conducted in the Turkish context were selected based on certain criteria and analyzed through document analysis to reach a comprehensive picture of translanguaging practices in EFL classroom settings. By doing so, it attempted to argue its potential benefits and possible challenges to guide stakeholders about how and/or when to benefit from translanguaging pedagogy so that it becomes more precise and beneficial for classroom use.

This paper addresses a review of studies and research projects related to the teaching of English as a foreign language (EFL) to visually impaired students. The studies embody a variety of topics such as the challenges faced by visually impaired students, the use of assistive technology, and the need for inclusive education in higher education. The document emphasizes the importance of adequate training for teachers and the use of specialized resources to support students with visual difficulties. It also discusses the principles of didactics and the integration of technology in the classroom as a didactic practice. The article provides insights into effective teaching practices for visually impaired students and offers recommendations for future research and teacher training. The study highlights the need for proper teacher training and constant support for visually impaired students.

There is abundant research available in the previous literature regarding teaching methods in the global context generally and in the Saudi English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context. However, a gap exists regarding research on novel and unconventional teaching methods. Thus, the current study aims to explore the EFL teachers' perspectives on the usage and effectiveness of these methods in the English language learning of Saudi EFL learners. A qualitative research approach was employed for this purpose. Moreover, in order to collect the data, semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven teachers teaching at Qassim University in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Thematic analysis was used to extract significant themes from the transcription of the interviews. Findings indicated that teachers had used several novel methods, including the flipped method, mindfulness-based teaching, emotioncy-based instruction, and loving pedagogy. The teachers mentioned numerous advantages of using these methods, which help Saudi EFL learners learn English. Based on the findings, the study presents a few implications of using these methods for teachers, students, and educational policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gratitude and mindset have recently gained attention in English as a foreign language (EFL) context due to their considerable benefits. This study examines the relationship between gratitude and mindset in language learning among undergraduate EFL students Two online questionnaires were used to evaluate students’ levels of gratitude, growth or fixed mindset, differences in gratitude and mindset based on gender and year level, and relationships among gratitude, growth, and fixed mindsets Using convenience sampling, 106 students completed the questionnaires Descriptive statistics indicated that students demonstrated high levels of gratitude but maintained a fixed mindset Sophomore students emerged as the most grateful, despite also having a fixed mindset Female students exhibited higher levels of gratitude compared to male students, who were more inclined to possess a fixed mindset Correlational statistics showed a significant association between gratitude and a growth mindset Analysis of open-ended question responses about other instances of gratitude experienced in class emphasised the roles of bilingual instruction and peer activities as contributing factors The study concluded with a discussion of pedagogical implications, highlighting the importance of fostering thankfulness in the language classroom and raising awareness of the advantages of adopting a growth language mindset [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of HOW: A Colombian Journal for Teachers of English is the property of Asociacion Colombiana de Profesores de Ingles and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

An educational priority in a curricular approach to education is an idealistic assertion that defines what students will learn due to participating in educational opportunities provided by an institution or division at a particular college or university (What Is Educational Priority | IGI Global, n.d.). There is no denying that the COVID-19 pandemic has created the necessity of many educational priorities (beyond traditional teaching-learning practices) at different levels of education, which can play a significant role in ELT pedagogy in the present time. Therefore, this study follows a qualitative approach where I conducted semi-structured interviews with 6 tertiary-level EFL teachers from 5 private universities and 4 TESOL students from 2 private universities in Bangladesh, to determine the extent those institutions have incorporated the post-pandemic educational priorities, mainly digital resources, empathy, mental well-being, blended classrooms, alternative assessments, 21st-century education and skills, SDG (Sustainable Development Goals), and benignant usage of AI (Artificial Intelligence) in ELT. I analyzed the interview data through a thematic analysis while considering the participants' beliefs, attitudes, insights, and experiences. Finally, this research has explored all these priorities and provided pertinent recommendations on incorporating such priorities for further development of the Bangladeshi EFL context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since teachers’ creative behavior or innovation-promoting inclination affects the quality of education, some recent studies have aimed to explore teachers’ willingness to practice teaching for creativity (TfC) in various education contexts. As an attempt to identify the correlates of TfC, the aim of this research was to test a model of model of TfC in EFL contexts based on teachers’ creative self-efficacy and their growth mindset. A number of 472 Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers partook in this survey as the participants. The electronic versions of the questionnaires for the three latent variables were administered to the participants. Structural equation modelling was utilized to test the suggested model of TfC in the EFL context. The results indicated that both teachers’ creative self-efficacy and their growth mindset substantially influenced EFL teachers’ TfC although the contribution of creative self-efficacy was greater than. Additionally, teachers’ growth mindset had a slight effect on their creative self-efficacy. These findings can offer remarkable implications for EFL teacher educators

Critical multicultural education (CME) challenges power imbalances in society and calls for the equitable distribution of power. It aims to address biases based on gender, class, and race, and improve social, economic, and educational opportunities for all individuals. While there have been several studies conducted on CME in relation to teachers and teacher training, there is a need to examine its broader implications for teacher education. This study aims to investigate the implications of CME on teacher education by analyzing different studies on this subject and their findings in various contexts. 14 relevant articles were compiled, categorized, and coded based on their context and findings, and descriptive data analysis was conducted. The study compared and contrasted the findings of the different studies and made generalizations about the implications of CME on teacher education and how it can be applied in the EFL context. The study highlights the importance of understanding the potential impact of CME on teacher education and provides insights for educators to effectively integrate CME principles into their teaching practices.

The study aims to explore lexical collocations in master’s student reflective writings by classifying the collocations and figuring out the strengths of the word combinations using the Mutual Information (MI) scores. As a corpus-based study, the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA) was employed by the researchers. Therefore, the MI score of each lexical collocation could be carefully gathered and compared. The result of the study showed six types out of seven types of lexical collocations found in students’ reflective writings. Among the combinations, the noun and verb combinations were the most commonly found. The summarized data revealed that the number of word combinations with a stronger association was higher than the number of word combinations with a less significant association. Being get used to various English language inputs, the students were able to possess a wide range of lexical collocation repertoire and produce writings containing various word combinations with the significant association.

Guided by a revised version of Cross and Hong's framework based on Bronfenbrenner's ecological system theory, the present study adopted a mixedmethods approach to explore teacher emotions in an EFL context. It aims to better understand teacher emotions and the influencing factors of these emotions in the microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, and macrosystem of the above-mentioned framework. A total of 109 university EFL teachers completed an online questionnaire survey, and seven of them participated in the followup semi-structured interviews. The quantitative analysis of the questionnaire data revealed that the participants demonstrated different levels of the five focal emotions (joy, love, anger, fear, and sadness), and joy was the most frequently experienced emotion. Results also suggested that interactions with students, colleagues, leaders and family (from the microsystem), struggle with work-family balance (from the mesosystem), the performance evaluation system (from the exosystem) and the curriculum reform (from the macrosystem) emerged as important influencing factors of teacher emotions. Implications were discussed, and suggestions concerning emotion regulation were offered to EFL teachers working in tertiary institutions within China and similar contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pragmatic failure is an issue usually occurring in cross-cultural communication when L2 learners cannot express themselves appropriately. This study aimed to discern the factors leading to cross-cultural pragmatic failure (CCPF) and the challenges EFL learners face in trying to overcome miscommunication problems. Following a qualitative research design, in the first study phase, one of the researchers observed 10 EFL teachers' classes for 90 minutes each, twice a week during the term to take the required field notes for further analysis. To obtain more in-depth information, in the second phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 EFL teachers and learners, and the data were collected. The EFL teachers were from private English language institutes, and the student participants were EFL learners studying either in state-run universities or private language centers. The results of the thematic analysis revealed that EFL classroom context, time and budget, assessing pragmatic knowledge, ELT textbook, and teacher education were perceived as the causes of CCPF by the interviewees. Moreover, the extracted themes associated with learners' challenges included linguistic incompetency, investing insufficient time and effort, psychological factors, cultural and sociocultural differences, inappropriate teaching methodology, and teachers' pragmatic competence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate Saudi EFL (English as a foreign language) teachers‟ perceptions of personal learning networks (PLNs) as a form of informal professional development. The study explored, from the perspective of communities of practice theory, whether Saudi EFL teachers were aware of this concept, particularly social media tools, and how they perceived and used them for their professional growth. The participants of this study were 66 EFL teachers who taught at English language institutes in different universities in Saudi Arabia. The study adopted an explanatory mixed-methods design. Quantitative data were collected from all 66 teachers using an online questionnaire to investigate their awareness, perceptions, and practice of using PLNs for their informal professional development. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted with 10 teachers. The findings of the study showed that Saudi EFL teachers had high awareness of the concept of PLNs (although they were unaware of its professional term), held positive perceptions regarding the use of PLNs, and used them for their professional growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses common issues in the EFL context, specifically the lack of engagement and limited language exposure. The study implemented a flipped classroom approach to enhance learner engagement and improve language learning outcomes. It involved 32 non-English majors and utilized 6 Minute English Podcasts and TED Talks as core materials, supplemented by blog writing assignments to connect in-class and out-of-class learning. Students engaged with online course materials before attending in-class discussions and worked on their blog assignments after class. Research tools included pre- and postlanguage proficiency tests, an end-of-semester questionnaire, student blog writing, and reflection papers. The results of the Wilcoxon signed-rank test indicated a significant improvement in students' listening skills (z=-4.099, p<0.001). Regarding their performance in speaking and writing, the results of the paired t-tests showed that students demonstrated varying levels of improvement, with the most significant improvements in the writing test (p<0.001) with a large effect size (d=1.94). The findings highlight significant progress in listening, writing, and listen-to-write skills, resulting from the synergistic integration of highquality online audio and video resources, blog-writing assignments, and the flipped teaching approach. This research provides insights for practitioners seeking to enhance language acquisition, particularly within the EFL context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, online education has been embraced as an instructional delivery mode to ensure continuity in all levels of education including higher education. Given the fact that the success of online learning heavily relies on the learner’s ability to autonomously regulate their learning, this study focuses on self-regulatory behaviors of tertiary level EFL learners enrolled in an online intensive language preparatory program. Quantitative and qualitative data were gathered to explore learners’ perceived levels of online self-regulation; the predictive role of online learning self-efficacy beliefs in their self-regulation; and the strategies they used to regulate their learning in online education. Findings revealed learners’ moderate level of online self-regulation predicted by their self-efficacy beliefs. Moreover, EFL learners used a variety of strategies to regulate their learning before, during and after synchronous online classes.

Backwards design (BD) starts from the desired results or standards and then moved to the evidence of learning obtained from assessment (Tighe & Wiggins, 1999). Despite the conventional trend that designing a curriculum starts by considering the input, a backward design has begun to gain attention as many researchers were interested to study it. This article aims to explore the implementation of backward design in the EFL context. This study applies a qualitative method by analyzing various documents related to the application of backward design in the context of EF with the thematic method of analysis. Several studies were reviewed and analyzed to problematize and make meaning of the implementation of BD in EFL classrooms and its impacts. The backward design can be implemented at various levels ranging from elementary up to university levels. This model can be integrated into the lesson plan, materials development, and classroom instructions and activities. In addition, BD gave a positive impact on students’ motivation, teachers’ professional development, and students’ creative and thinking skills.

The investigation steps are plan, act, watch, observe, and reflect have been an informative train for English instructors, and the information available have forced innovative practices on students that they typically don't involve. The associate perceptions, working in sets and group exchanges created noteworthy advantages of reflection and basic considering. Nonetheless, the investigator found that there are still numerous regions of shortcoming, which investigator needs to address. Students need huge aptitudes of reporting and self-evaluation. The classroom was a platform between the Teachers (educators) and the students (undergraduates) in Indian culture discouraged their support to convey what it needs to be. The researcher helped to advance an atmosphere of conditions where students could unreservedly convey what they need to and feels sure that could give an account of self-change and assessment of different changes that were being considered important. Study: The populations of the study are the students of Bachelor of Engineering. For this research, a sample size of 1145 students from 20 B.Tech colleges, were chosen by random sampling method after the distinguishing proof of moderate learners. The experimented 't' value is 4.205. The hypothetical 't'value is 2.39 for df =44. The gap closure in achievement is 41.69% for the whole experimental group, 43.04% for the experimental Computer Science Engineering, 44.16% for the experimental Information Technology, 35.71% for the experimental Electrical and Electronics Engineering and 43.74% for the experimental Mechanical Engineering group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teachers as educators should have adequate competency in using a variety of media and knowledge to deliver the information to their students in order to use information and communication technologies (ICT) effectively. This study explores teachers' competencies of ICT in their teaching and students' attitudes toward ICT in learning English. Three English teachers and their 90 students of eleven graders at one secondary school in one district in East Kalimantan participated in this study. The data were gathered from semi-structured interviews, observations, and questionnaires. Using a qualitative approach design concerning phenomenological perspective, the content analysis results have revealed that approximately 70% of the students had a positive attitude toward ICT, while the teachers' competencies were varied from mostly incorporating all the ICT tools to rarely using them in their classroom. The results suggest that English teachers need to have more professional development programs related to ICT in order to understand and be able to operate the ICT media and tools to teach English. EFL students should aware of their attitude toward ICT in this modern era and firmly use the advancement of ICT for educational purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a close relationship between language and culture, and a review of the literature indicates less attention is given to the enrichment of cross-cultural and pragmatic awareness in the classrooms. The role of culture in language learning is often overlooked in language classes. The notion of cultural competencies is often derived from English-speaking countries, and though students can learn from such a perspective, it does not provide a good model for developing their cultural and pragmatic competencies. Using students' own cultural experiences would be a good way to enhance their cultural and pragmatic competencies. This investigation involves a qualitative approach, and the participants involved 10 EFL lecturers and 20 EFL students from China. Data was collected by using in-depth interviews, classroom observations, and field notes. The role of technology in enhancing these skills is highlighted in this study. The results indicated that the bidirectional approach of integrated language and cultural elements enhanced their pragmatic competence. The use of technology further promoted learner autonomy and independent learning. The study highlights the limitations of the unidirectional approach in language teaching and advocates a bidirectional approach to enhance pragmatic and cultural competencies, which can be ideal for EFL settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since teachers' creative behavior or innovation-promoting inclination affects the quality of education, some recent studies have aimed to explore teachers' willingness to practice teaching for creativity (TfC) in various education contexts. As an attempt to identify the correlates of TfC, the aim of this research was to test a model of model of TfC in EFL contexts based on teachers' creative self-efficacy and their growth mindset. A number of 472 Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers partook in this survey as the participants. The electronic versions of the questionnaires for the three latent variables were administered to the participants. Structural equation modelling was utilized to test the suggested model of TfC in the EFL context. The results indicated that both teachers' creative self-efficacy and their growth mindset substantially influenced EFL teachers' TfC although the contribution of creative self-efficacy was greater than. Additionally, teachers' growth mindset had a slight effect on their creative self-efficacy. These findings can offer remarkable implications for EFL teacher educators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies on the salient role of neoliberalism in education have increased rapidly in recent years. These studies highlighted the presence of neoliberalism in language teaching materials in different contexts. However, research exploring the reality of neoliberal mentality in young learners' (YL) English language teaching (ELT) materials are sparse. Contributing to this barely-touched line of research, this study, employing a mixed-methods approach, examined the two most frequently used young learners' ELT textbooks (i.e. 'Family and Friends'; 'Super Minds') taught in Iranian private language institutes. We further explored teachers' perspectives on neoliberalism. The findings revealed that young learners' textbooks are notably filled with neoliberal values such as 'fame & celebrity' and 'material wealth'. The qualitative findings also revealed that most teachers are unaware of the presence of neoliberalism in the textbooks. Implications for teachers, young learners, and policymakers are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper has arisen from diligent studies on the reading comprehension ability of biology students in the university EFL context. The purpose of the paper is to enhance biology students' academic achievement in reading comprehension through an innovative strategy inspired from the word "REVOLUTION". The strategy is introduced in the present paper and it is developed and implemented for the first time in reading comprehension instruction. To collect the relevant data, a questionnaire, interviews, reading comprehension texts and tests were used. Participants were 67 EFL learners studying plant biology at two universities in Iran. They were assigned into two groups of experimental and control. In the experimental group, the REVOLUTION strategy was used as a treatment in teaching reading comprehension, while in the control group, the teacher read out the text and asked students to listen, the teacher was supposed to answer the students' important questions. The main findings of the study showed that when the teacher applied the REVOLUTION strategy, the students had a much better performance on the reading comprehension tests. The conclusion to be drawn from this study is that the implementation of this strategy can be useful in improving the reading comprehension of university students, it enhances learners' academic achievement in reading comprehension and also helps them to understand academic texts easily and effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The current study aims to investigate the impact of online language exchanges on the speaking skills and willingness to communicate (WTC) of Chinese postgraduate students in an advanced English program. The study compares two intact classes: e-tandem, who communicate with foreign English speakers through the Tandem language exchange application, and conventional, who participate in collaborative speaking tasks inside the class. The study also examines the attitudes and perceptions of the EFL learners toward the online language exchanges. Methods: 58 Chinese postgraduate students were recruited from a second-year advanced English program and divided into two intact classes: e-tandem and conventional. The e-tandem group used the Tandem language exchange application to communicate with foreign English speakers online, while the conventional group participated in collaborative speaking tasks inside the class. The data were collected through the IELTS speaking module, WTC scale, and semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Both groups showed improvement in their speaking skills and WTC. However, the e-tandem group outperformed the conventional group. The findings indicate that online language exchanges have a positive impact on the speaking skills and WTC of EFL learners. The EFL learners also had positive attitudes and perceptions toward the online language exchanges, although some expressed reservations. Discussion: The study concludes that online language exchanges can be an effective tool for improving the speaking skills and WTC of EFL learners. The study also suggests that collaborative speaking courses in EFL settings should consider incorporating online language exchanges. However, the study also highlights the need to address the concerns and reservations expressed by some EFL learners regarding online language exchanges. Overall, the study has important pedagogical implications for EFL settings, suggesting that online language exchanges can enhance speaking skills and WTC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Haiku, the 5-7-5 syllables of Japanese poetry, has been known widely as a tool to express voice and reflect on what happens to personal life experiences. Therefore, this study aimed to uses Haiku as a learning reflection on the Children’s Literature Class. Two questions were addressed to examine (1) Students’ perception of writing Haiku as a learning reflection and (2) challenges in writing Haiku as a learning reflection. Descriptive case A descriptive case study was used as the research methodology, while 49 students taking children's literature class participated. In data collection, this study used open-ended questionnaires given to all participants, while semi-structured interviews were delivered to 11 representative students. Students’ Haiku also were used as additional data. In addition, the data were analyzed thematically, using the framework of Braun and Clark (2006) and students’ Haiku were analyzed through document analysis. The findings show that students find that writing haiku as a learning reflection is fun and interesting. It also promotes their creativity in writing. However, since Haiku is fixed verse poetry, it does not cover students’ ideas of expressing their experience of learning freely and effectively. Eventually, Haiku still supports creativity, not effectiveness.

This article uses mixed methods and presents findings of a study of English materials and language performance in an EFL context. It shows how the qualitative and quantitative paradigms were used sequentially for a large population whose sample was stratified and selected proportionally. It also shows how data and analysis were computer processed for both parts of the study. It presents both the qualitative and quantitative findings of the study, showing that not only students have a positive attitude toward learning English with materials, but come up also with better language performance when they learn with English materials.

The teaching profession is complex and multifaceted. Beyond simply educating, teachers have many critical roles in the classroom. Recent research on teachers' roles has revealed crucial roles that differ by educational level. However, little is known about EFL students' perceptions of the functions of English language teachers, particularly at primary and secondary education levels. To fill the gap, this descriptive qualitative research reflects on EFL students' perception of English teachers' role in the classroom. The questionnaire, followed by a semi-structured interview to examine the data in more detail, was given to the first-grade junior high school students. After analyzing the data by using mixed-method, it was determined that students viewed the teachers' position as the resource to be the most important and the teachers' role as the organizer to be the least important. This result means that in most classroom activities, the students still depend on their teacher and see the teacher as the center of the class. This research can serve as a reflection for teachers to switch roles as organizers rather than be the students' sources. Hence the students can independently be responsible for their learning with teachers' support. Further research is recommended to investigate the teachers' role from students' and teachers' perspectives.

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The present study explored the antecedents and potential solutions to boredom in online English classrooms from the perspectives of 105 Thai EFL university students. Guided by a qualitative approach, an open-ended survey and semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data. The thematic analysis of the data revealed nine antecedents that contributed to students’ boredom in online English classrooms. These included monotonous teaching, difficult content and tasks, lack of interaction, screen fatigue, mode of learning, teacher’s personality trait, input overload, technical issues, and class timing allotment. As for solutions to students’ boredom, the present participants suggested that students’ boredom in an online foreign language classroom can be reduced by promoting innovative teaching, encouraging and motivating students, choosing the right classroom environment, increasing teacher-student interaction, shortening lecture hours, and turning on video cameras. Altogether, this study contributes to the emerging research trend, that is, the aspects of students’ boredom in the foreign language online classroom and concludes with recommendations for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the unique status of English as a super-power among foreign languages in Korea, and researchers’ increasing interest in Korean parents’ zeal for achieving their children’s early bilingualism and willingness to invest heavily in private English education outside of school, insufficient attention has been paid to the role of parental involvement and English-friendly home environments in Korean children’s early bilingual education. Accordingly, this case study of one Korean family provides an in-depth exploration of how the home language environment, family language policy, and parental investment affected the children’s bilingual development as well as other aspects of family dynamics. The results show that such family capital as parents’ English language proficiency, ability to support and sustain English language practice at the home domain in an ELF context, and access to learning resources can support their consistent efforts to provide a rich linguistic environment with positive psychological support in the home domain. Pedagogical implications for Korean parents with high aspirations for their children’s bilingual development are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]