This study deals with the English language teachers’ perceived beliefs on how to improve English language students’ learning skills. English language teachers’ level of competencies on how to improve language skills of their students is the main focus of this study. Therefore, the domain, “Improving Language Skills,” defined by the Ministry of National Education (MoNE) in Türkiye in the field of “Subject Specific Competencies for Teaching Profession” has been used. This specific domain includes seven competency performances and 63 related performance indicators at three levels: A1, A2, and A3. This study, first, aims to develop a new “English Language Teacher Competency Scale” under the light of MoNE descriptors; second, it aims to observe the English teachers’ competency levels following the suggested performance indicators. The participants of the study were 100 English language teachers, teaching at public and private primary schools in Türkiye. Accordingly, the teachers responded to the mentioned scale, including other variables; such as gender, professional experience, educational background, and the type of schools they worked in. The findings indicated that there was no significant difference between the teachers’ competency beliefs about their professional experience, gender, and educational background; however, there was a significant difference in terms of the type of schools the teachers worked in. Also, this study revealed feasibility of developing the “English Language Teacher Competency Scale,”, and made the scale available to use for evaluating English Language Teaching teachers’ competency levels on how to “Improve Language Skills” in class.

Understanding the level of English learning self-efficacy (ELS) and its influencing factors is significant for cultivating students’ self-confidence, enhancing their initiative, and stimulating their interest in English learning. Therefore, this study focused on levels of ELS levels and influencing factors among Chinese senior high school students. A mixed-method study was conducted using self-efficacy theory: a survey was administered to 325 high school students, and semi-structured interviews were carried out with nine students. Using the General Self-efficacy Scale (Schwarzer & Jerusalem, 1995), this paper explored the basic situation of senior high school students’ ELS. It aimed to answer the following questions: 1) What is the level of Chinese senior high school students’ ELS? and 2) What are the influencing factors related to Chinese senior high school students’ ELS? The data analysis led to the following conclusions: 1) Chinese senior high school students showed a medium ELS level; and 2) the differences between the ideal and real selves, learning experiences, academic emotions, and learning strategies influence students’ ELS.

Since language use is at the center of language learning, learners’ active engagement in learning activities is crucial for successful language learning. Answering the call for positive language education, the present study investigated the levels and influencing factors of engagement in English learning among 437 Chinese senior high school students. This study employed an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, collecting data through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The results showed that students were generally well-engaged in English learning. Moreover, students were more inclined to engage in English learning behaviorally, emotionally, and cognitively. Students’ agentic engagement in English learning was relatively low and mainly reflected after English classes. The relatively low agentic engagement might be shaped by a series of personal and contextual factors, including the traditional Chinese concept of “honoring and respecting the teacher”, teachers’ teaching strategies, students’ learning strategies, English proficiency, learning climate, and teaching styles. Pedagogical implications for English teachers concerning enhancing students’ English learning engagement were provided.

This study used a qualitative method to explore a teacher’s use of motivational strategies in an English for specific purposes (ESP) course and students’ perceptions. An English teacher in a business English class and her 32 students were recruited. The class was observed three times: at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of the course. Two semi-structured interviews with the teacher were conducted: one before classroom observation, and the other after observation. Interviews with the students were conducted after each classroom observation. The teacher used seven motivational strategies to create a supportive and relaxed classroom atmosphere, and five strategies to facilitate students’ language learning. Most students’ perceptions of the teacher’s use of motivational strategies were positive. However, the students perceived a gap between their expectations for the course and their experiences. Finally, the article concludes by offering insights into the implications and constraints related to pedagogy.

This study delves into understanding the determinants of grit in English learning among Vietnamese students, highlighting both external and internal factors. Utilizing qualitative interviews, the research engaged with a cohort of 15 students, aiming to unearth the intricate interplay of influences that bolster their commitment and persistence in English studies. External factors emerged prominently, with teacher influence playing a significant role. Teachers’ motivational techniques, personalized feedback, and the establishment of a nurturing learning environment were underscored as pivotal in shaping students’ determination. On the internal facet, personal goals and aspirations, self-efficacy, intrinsic curiosity for the language, adaptive learning strategies, peer comparisons, and reflective self-assessment were identified as central elements. Insights from Constructivism and Socio-Cultural Theory were instrumental in interpreting the findings, revealing how individual experiences intersect with broader societal and cultural narratives. The study uncovered that while personal motivations and aspirations drive the students, they are simultaneously influenced by societal values, especially in the Vietnamese context, where education is deeply revered. This research contributes to the growing body of knowledge on grit in educational settings, shedding light on the unique cultural and individual determinants in the context of Vietnamese students learning English.

Skinner’s behaviorist theory delineates how a child acquires L1; notwithstanding, what sets the present study apart from Skinner’s findings can be culled-out from the research context itself. This paper validates the principles behind behaviorist theory as proposed by Skinner (1985) taking into account applied linguistics context. Careful scrutiny of data reveals that the explored theory also plays a vital role in the gradual L2 acquisition through meaningful linguistic attempts (e.g., There are persons cutting trees without replanting; His friends Marilyn and Alicia clean the classroom) and reading activities by fostering affirmative learning atmosphere to induce positive language attitude towards L2 acquisition and functionality. Negligible errors in the process of L2 acquisition are attributed to linguistic variability, interlanguage, and inflectional morphology component. This study is advantageous to EFL learners and teachers globally for it highlights some linguistic implications indispensable to interpret the learning rate, lexical range, comprehensible input (CI), and language cognition of L2 students specifically in early language education. EFL educators may be able to provide meaningful linguistic activities by considering the essential tenets of this academic piece as well as the multiculturalism factor to L2 acquisition.

This study sheds light on perceptions and attitudes toward obtaining competency of English teachers at Senior High Schools regarding the integration of Internet, communication, and technology (ICT) in the English classroom in Indonesia. The research involved 113 English teachers from 11 different sub-districts in Riau Province-Indonesia, and data were collected through online questionnaires utilizing Google Forms. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS 24.0, while qualitative data were analyzed using a three-stage analysis involving data reduction, data display, and verification. The study’s findings revealed positive perceptions and favorable attitudes toward the integration of ICT in EFL classrooms. Importantly, EFL teachers’ competency in ICT significantly influenced their teaching performance. Qualitative insights highlighted obstacles faced by English teachers, such as limited internet networking and inadequate facilities, impacting their experiences due to the absence of ICT training and socialization from schools. Based on the findings, there is an urgent need to address challenges faced by teachers in rural areas, emphasizing the pivotal role of ICT for effective teaching and learning in EFL classrooms.

This qualitative study delved into the strategies employed by English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers in Vietnamese higher education institutions (HEIs) to enhance their empathy in pedagogical practices. Rooted in the Mekong Delta context, the research aimed to shed light on the intricate interplay between cultural nuances and empathetic teaching. Through semi-structured interviews with 10 EFL educators from two institutions, the study uncovered several dominant themes. Key findings highlighted the significant emphasis teachers placed on understanding the socio-cultural backdrop of their students to foster empathy. Strategies such as the incorporation of students’ personal narratives, empathetic listening, personalized feedback, and fostering empathetic group dynamics emerged as pivotal in building connections and facilitating effective language instruction. Grounding the findings in the Socio-cultural Theory and the Affective Filter Hypothesis provided theoretical underpinnings that emphasized the role of social interactions and emotional support in cognitive development and language acquisition, respectively. The study underscores the critical role of empathy in EFL teaching, providing valuable insights for educators, policymakers, and future research in similar socio-cultural contexts.

Active learning has been a curriculum mandate in the Indonesian education system since the 1980s. Nonetheless, practical gaps existed, as evidenced by the dominance of teacher-centered instruction in public schools. The field needs research depicting how active learning works and enhances learning. Thus, we conducted a qualitative case study focusing on one method within active learning pedagogies: cooperative learning. Specifically, we examined how one of its techniques, i.e., Jigsaw, operated and optimized English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' reading comprehension. We involved one EFL teacher and her students in eighth grade. Data were gathered through classroom observations, in-depth interviews, and analysis of instructional documents. Our data analysis revealed some missed steps in the teacher participants' lesson plans, specifically in the main learning activities sections that had the Jigsaw procedures. However, these activities were enacted in the actual classroom use. The teacher participant also modified her lessons to make Jigsaw more effective. Additionally, she tackled challenges that occurred during the process, especially in dealing with low levels of reading comprehension, unmotivated students, and limited time. For effective use of Jigsaw and considerations when making adjustments in classroom practice, we recommend that teachers understand cooperative learning principles and how they manifest in the procedures of the selected technique(s).

Boredom is a commonly experienced unpleasant emotion in foreign language classrooms and may negatively influence students’ learning status and outcomes. Unfortunately, limited attention has been directed to classroom boredom among students while learning foreign languages. To address this gap, this study adopted a mixed-methods approach to investigate English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom boredom experienced by students. We invited 675 Chinese senior high school EFL students to participate in the questionnaire survey about their classroom boredom, and 4 of them voluntarily participated in semi-structured interviews. The results of quantitative data analyses indicate that Chinese senior high school EFL students experienced medium levels of classroom boredom, with male students feeling significantly more bored than females and no difference in boredom in terms of grade and class type. Qualitative data also reveal students’ preferences for challenging language learning activities and learner-centered pedagogy. Our findings shed light on ways of improving EFL learners’ classroom learning experiences and emotional status.

Mindset theories have been applied to study motivation in various domains, with researchers talking about different mindsets in diverse academic domains. The domain specificity of mindsets has led second language researchers to suggest distinct mindsets concerning language ability and learning outcomes. While there is no lack of research on the application of mindset theories, a systematic synthesis of the literature on mindset theories focusing on the language education domain has remained relatively unexplored. The literature in this study was identified by conducting keyword searches in Scopus and EBSCOhost research databases using a combination of the following terms: “mindset theories”, “English as a foreign language”, “English as a second language”, and “teacher training”. The search results were limited to research articles published in English-medium refereed journals from 2013 to 2023. We scrutinized the titles and abstracts of 128 articles in the initial round of screening and did a second round of close reading for relevance to the synthesis focus. This chapter synthesizes 40 research papers on the application of mindset theories in the domain of language teaching and learning, including 1) studies on language skills such as writing, 2) studies related to language teachers’ role and teacher training, and 3) theoretical and practical applications of mindset theories. The conclusions drawn will be used to recommend future directions in research and practice. The chapter will contribute to the field of mindset theories in language education in terms of research and practice for educators and researchers.

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.

Despite the continued widespread use of the academic word list, there is a paucity of comprehensive and easily replicable tests which measure learners’ depth of knowledge of academic word list items. This paper outlines the development and initial validation of a test which measures multiple aspects of learners’ knowledge of academic vocabulary. The test comprises four sections – one productive knowledge section (sentence writing), and three receptive knowledge sections (collocations, synonyms, and L1 meaning). Each section includes 30 items selected from the academic word list, 10 of which are derived forms containing one or more affixes. The test was administered to 193 Japanese students studying at a public medical university in Japan. All four sections of the test showed a high level of internal consistency. In addition, the inter-rater reliability between the two different markers for the productive use (sentence writing) section was also moderately high. Furthermore, Rasch item analysis showed that the test items were well fitted to comprehensively measure learners’ knowledge of academic vocabulary. These encouraging initial results suggest that there may be merit in the test being used, evaluated, and possibly adapted in other EAP teaching and learning contexts.

Failure in visual word recognition brings about frustration and failure in reading which impinge on the achievement and reading progress of learners. In order to contribute towards assisting every child to achieve minimum proficiency in reading, this investigation examined the impact of podcasts on the abilities of second language learners in sight word recognition. The study which is quasi-experimental, made use of the pre-test post-test nonequivalent groups method. The study participants who were purposively sampled from a privately owned primary school in Enugu urban, South East, Nigeria comprise thirty elementary two learners. Pre-and post-tests were administered to the participants who were grouped into intervention and control groups. The intervention group listened to podcasts in word recognition skills while the control group learned word recognition through the usual method. Statistical tools such as means, standard deviation and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) were utilized to analyze the data collected. The research question was answered through Standard Deviation and the learners’ mean achievement scores, while the hypothesis, which was set at <0.05 level of significance, was tested with the ANCOVA. The results of the investigation showed that podcasts facilitated improvement in the word recognition skills of English as a second language (ESL) learners. The study concluded that the use of podcast proves to be an efficient instructional media capable of promoting achievement in word recognition skills of learners in an ESL classroom. On the basis of the results, exploring the use of podcasts in the teaching of word recognition skills among ESL learners was recommended.

The advent of the "positive psychology turn" in applied linguistics has brought increased attention to psychological constructs such as hope, which significantly impact students’ academic performance, including their effort. However, the intricate relationships among these factors remain underexplored. To address this gap, the present study employs a mixed-methods approach to investigate how specific dimensions of students' hope influence their efforts. A sample of 711 Chinese senior high school students studying English as a foreign language participated by completing questionnaires assessing their levels of hope and effort. Findings from structural equation modeling indicate that pathways, a dimension of hope, directly and positively affect students' efforts in learning a foreign language. This research provides valuable insights for educators, highlighting the importance of fostering hope in English learning to enhance students' strategic approaches to language acquisition and support their academic progress.

This qualitative study explored: (a) How do the three English-Education-major (EE hereafter) undergraduates perceive their academic self-efficacy change experiences over the first two years after major transfer? (b) What are the personal and social factors that prompt their academic self-efficacy change? Data was collected from three EE students at S University in S city, China. Data sources include semi-structured interviews, reflections, and observation notes. Data analysis uses qualitative content analysis, adopting an inductive approach to allow themes to naturally emerge from the data. Findings reveal that participants experienced academic self-efficacy changes through continuous and uneasy processes. Significant changes were noted in the participants’ academic self-efficacy. Key personal factors, including mastery experiences and physiological/emotional states, along with social factors, including verbal and social persuasion and vicarious experiences, were found to substantially influence self-efficacy. In light of the above findings, practical implications were proposed for EE programs and program developers from the three aspects: creating opportunities for mastery experiences within EE programs, incorporating elements of social persuasion and vicarious learning, and integrating modules focused on managing anxiety and fostering resilience. Limitations of this study and recommendations for future research were discussed.

This two-year action research study examines how incorporating ‘The Writing Revolution’ (TWR) strategies and adapting task complexity can improve TESOL students' expository writing in secondary education in Cyprus. A total of eighty-three students (12-17 years old) from various first language (L1) backgrounds and CEFR levels (A1-B2) participated from six lower secondary (LS) and upper secondary (US) state classrooms. The methodology involved spending one-quarter of students' weekly class time on the learning and application of TWR techniques in their L2/EFL writing. Overall, 90-180 activities were completed successfully, and cognitively undemanding and context-embedded writing tasks gave way to more complex and cognitively demanding tasks to suit students’ differing proficiency levels. Qualitative analysis of students’ writing and focus group discussions indicated that writing improved coherence, organization, and complexity. Students expressed feelings of reduced anxiety and improved confidence in English writing. These findings highlight the importance of dedicating time to teaching writing explicitly in L2/FL classrooms and gradually increasing task complexity beginning at the sentence level. This study’s unique contribution demonstrates how TWR strategies can be effectively tailored to L2/FL contexts and offer practical implications for TESOL curriculum developers, researchers, and educators seeking to improve students’ writing confidence in FL and lessen writing anxiety in the classroom.

A large body of evidence demonstrates that cooperative learning promotes reading achievement.  Cooperative learning is based on Social Interdependence Theory, which holds that learners benefit from leveraging cooperative effort to achieve individual and mutual goals. Student-generated questioning (SGQ) is a cooperative learning strategy that promotes learning through an iterative self and peer-assessment process. SGQ has yielded mixed results among lower-proficiency language users, where linguistic and cultural barriers can impede efficacy. Providing students with pre-training, procedural prompts, and language modeling has proven effective. A quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest design was employed to determine the impact of a highly scaffolded SGQ strategy on reading comprehension in two intact CEFR-A2 reading classes (n = 62) over a 16-week semester at a Japanese university. The Cambridge A2 Key Test was administered before and after the reading intervention. Parametric test results revealed SGQ had no significant effect on any of the five reading subskills. Further discussion of findings and recommendations may prove instructive for reading educators and researchers of low-proficiency English students in Japan and other East Asian contexts.

This study aims to assess the Social-Emotional Learning Instructional Competence (SELIC) of English as a foreign language pre-service teachers (EFLPTs) at a pedagogical university in Vietnam (VPU). It employed a mixed-methods design, which combines qualitative classroom observations with quantitative questionnaire responses from 351 EFLPTs to evaluate EFLPTs’ proficiency in SELIC – the competence to implement Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) in teaching practices. The results reveal both strengths and deficiencies in EFLPTs’ demonstration of SELIC. They demonstrated a strong ability to apply psychological and pedagogical principles as well as to organize activities that promote students’ social-emotional skills; however, they encountered difficulties in explicitly addressing social-emotional issues that may arise in EFL classrooms, with some EFLPTs neglecting or failing to respond to students’ social and emotional needs. Additionally, there were notable inconsistencies in EFLPTs’ modeling of social-emotional competences during their teaching practices, as some EFLPTs effectively demonstrated empathy, relationship skills and emotional management, while others faced challenges. The least developed component of SELIC was their ability to evaluate students’ social-emotional skills. These findings highlight the necessity to enhance comprehensive and explicit integration of SELIC in teacher education programs, ensuring that EFLPTs are sufficiently prepared to foster both academic achievement and social-emotional growth in their future classrooms.

Early childhood is a critical period for growth and language development, including the ability to communicate effectively. In modern educational institutions, alongside Indonesian as the mother tongue, English is often introduced as a foreign language. Teaching English to young children is approached through engaging and educational activities designed to enhance their language skills. This study employs Participatory Action Research (PAR) involving 41 kindergarten students as participants. Effective methods include singing, reading bilingual storybooks, giving instructions in English, and role-playing. Singing helps children recognize English sounds and rhythms naturally, while bilingual storybooks enrich vocabulary by linking English words to familiar contexts. Role-playing, particularly bilingual mini-theater, stands out as a prominent method. In this activity, children interact using a mix of Indonesian and English dialogues, fostering both language skills and enjoyment. By participating in such dialogues, they deepen their understanding of English words in context. Additionally, instructions given in English during role-play help children familiarize themselves with hearing and responding to the language, promoting internalization. The findings highlight that the bilingual mini-theater approach fosters a dynamic learning environment that promotes vocabulary acquisition, expressive communication, and practical language application. These creative activities make learning interactive and enjoyable, effectively supporting early childhood English language development.