Abstract Books of the World Conference on Foreign Language Education
The Abstract Books of the World Conference on Foreign Language Education (WORLDFLE) presents carefully peer-reviewed research presented at the annual Foreign Language Education conference organized by Proud Pen. This collection captures original work across the field of Foreign Language Education, spanning theoretical frameworks to applied studies. Each volume serves as a reference for ongoing research and study in the discipline.
Motivation Under Constraint: An SDT and Affective Filter Perspective on Repeating EFL Nursing Students in Saudi Arabia
This study explores the role of learner motivation in the re-engagement of low-proficiency English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners repeating a core grammar course. Situated within applied linguistics, the research draws on Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and the Affective Filter Hypothesis to examine how prior negative academic experiences shape learners’ motivation, emotional responses, and classroom participation.The study adopts a qualitative case study design focusing on four undergraduate nursing students in Saudi Arabia repeating an English grammar course following previous failure. All participants reported heightened anxiety, reduced confidence, and strong self-imposed expectations, compounded by perceptions of falling behind their peers. Data were collected over one academic term through classroom observations, reflective teaching journals, and informal learner feedback, and were analysed thematically.Findings indicate that learners’ motivation was significantly constrained by affective factors, particularly residual trauma associated with prior failure and fear of further underperformance. These factors contributed to an elevated affective filter, limiting participation and engagement. However, the implementation of supportive instructional practices, including scaffolded tasks, individualised feedback, and the development of a low-anxiety classroom environment, was associated with gradual improvements in learner confidence and willingness to communicate.This study contributes to applied linguistics by highlighting the dynamic interaction between motivation and affect in contexts of repeated academic failure. It underscores the importance of addressing emotional barriers as a prerequisite for meaningful learner engagement and offers pedagogical implications for supporting at-risk language learners.
Copyright (c) 2026 Samiah H. Ghounaim (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Teacher and Peer Tandem Response: A Practical Inquiry Analysis
Programs like Google Docs enable both teacher and peer response to student writing in the same digital space, yet few studies have investigated the possibilities of both feedback practices in an interactive tandem. While traditional approaches to feedback might argue such practices to be separate, a Community of Inquiry (CoI) approach might encourage the possibilities of enhanced metacognition through diverse socialization and teacher guidance. One important concept within Communities of Inquiry is an emphasis of practical inquiry (PI) which carries participants through critical phases of action and deliberation to solve academic problems. This study explores feedback activity practices within an L2 writing course in South Korea, where Google Docs was employed to enable discussion threads among essay writers, peer respondents and their teacher. In these practices, student writers prompted discussions on their own work, and both peer respondents and the instructor acted as consultants to help determine revision plans. The analysis probes their feedback practices to describe instances of the following practical inquiry phases: triggering events, explorations, integrations and resolutions. Students also completed survey reactions to the response activities that comment on successes both overall and with each phase.
Copyright (c) 2026 Garrett DeHond (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Metafunctions of Alleged AI Text: An SFL Study
Like many artiﬁcial intelligence (AI) detection programs, Turnitin Originality presents useful data to consider when scanning student submissions for possible AI construction or paraphrasing. This function, however, is complicated when detection presents numeric and estimated results with limited explanation. As such, the instructor must still do much work in interpreting the results or checking them against other resources. One method that comes to mind would be to compare ﬂagged and non-ﬂagged text for linguistic metafunctions, or systemic clusters of language as deﬁned in systemic functional linguistics (SFL). This study reviews over 30 samples from an English essay writing course. In all samples, student work garnered alleged AI-inﬂuence percentages of 30% to 70% (essentially one to multiple paragraphs). All text is reviewed for ideational (human experience), interpersonal (relationship constructing) and textual (message organization), with a comparison of results across non-ﬂagged, AI-constructed and AI-paraphrased determinations. These metafunctions may help us understand how AI detectors like Turnitin Originality allegedly determine AI features due to perplexity (text predictability) and burstinesss (sentence variation), which are most often relied upon for gauging AI.
Fostering Learner Autonomy Through Learning Journals in the EFL Classroom: A Tertiary Education Case Study
The purpose of this study is to explore the role of learning journals as an effective pedagogical instrument for fostering learner autonomy in English language acquisition for students in higher education. Over the course of one week, participants were required to keep a learning journal in which they tracked the progress they made in English by consciously engaging with linguistic input. The task extended beyond the boundaries of formal academic instruction, as students independently selected learning materials aligned with their personal interests and preferences, which aroused their intrinsic motivation. The linguistic input was derived from leisure-oriented and enjoyable activities chosen by the students, such as watching films, listening to music, reading books, or participating in peer interactions. The findings indicate that the use of learning journals fostered autonomous language learning behaviours, as this practice enhanced their decision-making skills, which contributed to the development of a more personalised learning experience tailored to their individual learning needs and objectives. Through this practice, learners acknowledged their progress, identified challenges and areas of difficulty, and developed their metacognitive awareness by actively planning, monitoring, and evaluating their learning process. The study was conducted with a group of 14 students enrolled at a Romanian university. The primary research method consisted of the use of the learning journals, which served both as a pedagogical tool to promote autonomy in English language acquisition and as a research instrument to collect qualitative data.
Copyright (c) 2026 Oana-Karina Lugojan (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Action Research on the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Critical Thinking and Reading Skills in Moroccan High School Students Learning French as a Foreign Language
This action research explores the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the development of critical thinking and reading skills in Moroccan high school students learning French as a Foreign Language (FFL). Set against the backdrop of declining reading performance in Morocco (PISA 2022), the primary objective of the study is to develop AI-enhanced tools to guide the reading process and promote critical thinking, a skill deemed unattainable by AI alone. Drawing on Peirce's semiopragmatics and the revised Bloom's Taxonomy, the study adopts a mixed-methods approach with a sample of 30 learners divided into two groups (an experimental group using AI and a control group without AI). The four-week intervention uses AI tools such as ChatGPT to guide students in analyzing literary texts. The results show a significant improvement in reading performance in the experimental group, but no notable improvement in critical thinking skills. Learners perceive AI ambivalently, highlighting its advantages in terms of time-saving and comprehension, while expressing concerns about cognitive dependency and AI errors. The study concludes that AI should be viewed as a facilitating lever rather than a substitute for teaching, with the teacher playing a central role in guiding students in transforming AI errors into opportunities for critical reasoning. Finally, it is emphasized that current assessments do not adequately measure critical thinking, a complex and ongoing process.
Copyright (c) 2026 Ilham Chniete, Mehdi Kaddouri, Meriem Marhraoui, Sabrine Jmad (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
English for Specific Purposes: The Occupational English Test
The Occupational English Test has been around since 1988 when a test of English for health professionals was authored by Tim McNamara, Monash University, Melbourne. Overseas-qualified health professionals seeking to settle in an English-speaking country, who have gained their qualifications in a language other than English, are required to pass an IELTS Academic test, a Pearson Test of English, or the Occupational English test, however, the OET is not for the faint-hearted as it is a high-stakes test, a pass in which is life changing.
Copyright (c) 2026 Marg Tolliday (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
English Teachers’ Instructional Material Development Practices in Oman: Balancing Tradition, Technology, and AI
Instructional material development is widely recognised as a central component of effective teaching and improved learning outcomes, particularly in language education, where materials shape opportunities for practice, interaction, and engagement. With the increasing availability of digital tools, social media, and artificial intelligence (AI), teachers’ approaches to developing instructional materials are expanding beyond traditional practices. However, there remains limited large-scale evidence on how English teachers integrate these emerging tools alongside established material development principles, particularly in the Omani context. This study investigated English teachers’ practices related to instructional material development across multiple dimensions, including traditional approaches, the use of digital and social media, AI-assisted practices, inclusivity and differentiation, and collaborative material development. A mixed-methods design was employed, involving a questionnaire completed by 488 English teachers from various school levels, followed by semi-structured interviews with nine teachers to gain deeper insights into their experiences and decision-making processes. The findings indicate that teachers continue to rely strongly on traditional material development practices, particularly adapting textbook content to meet students’ needs. At the same time, there is growing engagement with digital tools and social media as sources of ideas and ready-made resources. AI-assisted practices are emerging but remain uneven in their adoption, with teachers expressing both interest in their potential and uncertainty about their effective pedagogical use. The results also highlight varying levels of attention to inclusivity, differentiation, and collaborative development, with these practices often influenced by contextual and institutional factors. This study contributes to understanding how teachers navigate the expanding landscape of material development and highlights the need for targeted professional development to support the pedagogically meaningful integration of digital and AI tools. The findings have implications for teacher education, curriculum development, and policy initiatives aimed at enhancing the quality of English language teaching.
Copyright (c) 2026 Dr. Fawzia Al Seyabi (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Culturally Immersive Teaching Strategies and Their Impact on Student Engagement in Spanish Language Learning at a Caribbean University
Foreign language learning is frequently centered on grammar and vocabulary instruction; yet, meaningful language learning is intrinsically linked to cultural awareness. This paper analyzes the impact of culturally relevant and experiential teaching methods on student engagement and motivation in Spanish language acquisition at a Caribbean university. The research is based on reflective classroom practices and utilizes the recurrent application of culturally integrated teaching methodologies in undergraduate Spanish courses at the University of Guyana. Cultural exposure is deliberately integrated at the outset of the course through guided conversations and listening activities centered on Spanish music, traditions, clothing, food, and historical settings, facilitating an early cultural connection to the target language. Students are required to undertake independent study and present on various Spanish-speaking countries, fostering cultural understanding and learner autonomy. A key element of the methodology is an annual cultural performance event in which students engage in singing, dancing, and poetry in Spanish. These performance-oriented activities aim to foster active language use within a nurturing and innovative educational setting. Initial classroom observations and student feedback indicate that these culturally immersive practices enhance enthusiasm, increase involvement, and facilitate the development of confidence in oral communication. Students exhibit persistent enthusiasm for learning Spanish and regularly express eagerness for cultural events. This paper enhances the discourse on culturally responsive language instruction by emphasizing the significance of cultural exposure, student research, and performance-based learning in fostering meaningful engagement. It provides pragmatic insights for foreign language instructors aiming to augment motivation and engagement, especially in higher education settings where full immersion opportunities are constrained.
Copyright (c) 2026 Monix Hetemeyer (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Challenges Encountered by Young Adult Students in Learning the English Language: The Case of a Higher Education Institution in Bahrain
The purpose of the current study is to explore various challenges young adult learners experience in developing English language proficiency in the higher education setting of Bahrain. A mixed-methods sequential explanatory research design was used in the study, which included 104 undergraduate students from Bahrain Polytechnic. Surveys and in-depth interviews were implemented to obtain an extensive picture of the learners’ struggles and experiences. The theoretical framework of the investigation included foundational concepts of Second Language Acquisition, Socio-Cultural Theory, Foreign Language Anxiety, and the concept of Identity Investment. Instruments for data collection consisted of a validated English Language Learning Challenges Survey and semi-structured interview – both tools had undergone expert assessment and pilot testing. The results of the survey revealed that the students struggle with the moderate level of obstacles in four-dimensional subscales: linguistic challenges, first-language interference, teaching approach, and the level of technological implementation. The students showed the highest levels of challenges in the grammar of the English language subscale and interference from the first language subscale, which proved to undermine the efficiency of the studying process. The dimensions also negatively moderate cognitive learning, emotional aspect and operational language skills, with the domination of speaking anxiety and performance stress. The statistical analysis shows significant variance of the challenge level between different age groups and students of different academic years, while the group separation by gender and multilingualism background showed no significant differences. The strong intercorrelations of all kinds of challenges indicate the high intertwining of the related problems. According to interviews, the over-crowdedness of the classrooms, cultural impediments to communication, low-rate existence of the real-world English exposure, and high levels of academic pressure were named as contributing factors. Many students expressed their willingness to participate in less-formalized lessons, smaller class sizes, more practice options, and the implementation of supportive tools and technology in teaching. Since the study descriptively argued the issue using a single-institution approach and a cross-sectional methodology, it aimed to guide educators, curriculum developers, and policymakers in their efforts to better English instruction in multilingual educational settings in the Gulf.
Copyright (c) 2026 Dr. Romel Jimenez (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
'Close to Home, Even Though Far Away': social media in International Student Adaptation
This mixed-method study investigates the role of social media in the intercultural adaptation process of international students in Saudi Arabia. With over 200,000 international students enrolled in Saudi universities, understanding their adaptation experiences is crucial, particularly given Saudi Arabia's strict Islamic rules, Arabic language requirements, and unique cultural context. The study employed quantitative and qualitative approaches with 179 students participating in an online questionnaire and five students volunteering for follow-up interviews. The findings reveal that social media significantly impacts three key aspects of intercultural adaptation: strengthening, maintaining, and building relationships and connections; overcoming adjustment challenges; and enhancing participants' sense of belonging to both host and home cultures. No significant differences were found based on age or gender variables. This research contributes to the limited literature on international students in Arabic-speaking contexts and is one of the first attempts to explore social media's role in intercultural adaptation within Saudi Arabia specifically. The findings suggest that social media serves as a vital tool for international students, enabling them to maintain home culture connections while simultaneously integrating into the host culture. Pedagogical implications recommend encouraging pre-arrival social media interactions and introducing students to commonly used platforms as part of preparation programs.
Copyright (c) 2026 Ziyad M. Alsaleh (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
ESP Practitioners: A Case Study on How They Need More from Institutions
When talking about ESP, the term needs analysis comes to the fore repeatedly and one of the key points that must be included within this analysis is the training required to ESP practitioners. Is there any kind of certificate that is required for practitioners? Is there any specific training to be provided by institutions? Considering these research questions, the aim of this research was to study ESP practitioners beliefs about the background knowledge they had as well as with the formation they got from this institution before they began teaching ESP and to check what their knowledge about teaching ESP was. At Universidad Europea del Atlántico (a private university in Santander, Spain) a case study was developed through semi-structured interviews in which six practitioners participated, and these were developed after an ethical committee validated the development of this study during the course 2022 – 2023. All the interviewees declared that the training provided by this institution was very poor, and they agreed on the need to create training courses for ESP practitioners, as only two of the professionals declared having certain background training on teaching ESP. Therefore, taking into consideration the importance ESP has within the Spanish university context, its practitioners should be specifically trained so as to provide students with the field-specific knowledge they need for their future careers.
Copyright (c) 2026 Inés Lourido Badía (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Developing Learners’ Oral Communication through Tasks: Perceptions of Secondary School Teachers from the Democratic Republic of Congo
Teachers are concerned about communication in the classroom. This issue has become a recurring topic in research debates. The ability to communicate verbally is a skill that must be imparted to learners by educational institutions. The development of this skill must commence from the earliest stages of education. The enhancement of students' oral communication skills necessitates the implementation of a task-based approach, entailing the incorporation of requisite speaking tasks or activities. Furthermore, it is imperative that educators underscore the significance of language utilization, given the inextricable relationship between language and communication. This study explores the perceptions secondary school teachers have regarding students' development of oral communication and the tasks/activities employed for this purpose. A qualitative approach was employed, entailing the conduction of 31 interviews with Congolese secondary school teachers. The results of eight deductive and inductive categories were obtained. The findings indicate that educators hold divergent perceptions of students' oral communication skills. Consequently, the abduction process yielded seven criteria, including the purpose of English oral communication, the rationale for English oral communication, the role of teachers in engaging students in oral communication, the drivers for students' English-speaking skills, the characteristics of oral communication, and the challenges. Based on these criteria, four ideal types emerged. The aforementioned types comprise an understanding of English-speaking skills as an elite-oriented practice, an understanding of English oral communication outcomes as teacher-driven practices, an understanding of English oral competencies as student co-constructive in-class practices, and an understanding of English oral competencies as student co-constructive practices beyond the classroom. The comparison of the results showed the following main findings: Four ideal types of understanding English oral communication were identified (two fostering English oral communication) (1); teachers’ limited understanding of students’ development of oral communication (2); teachers’ perspectives about the benefits of English oral communication competencies for students’ future life (3); teachers’ perceptions of language speaking skills as a fostering factor, but language registers as something which is not visible (4), there are teachers employing activating tasks as teaching method for English oral communication (5), English clubs as a trigger of English oral communication (6), and there are teachers who perceive power play as a hindering factor of English oral communication (7). The present study suggests that the implementation of TBLT (through their constituent speaking activities) may serve as an adequate approach to foster students' oral communication. Subsequent research would center on a quantitative study to ascertain the correlation between TBLT and students' development of spoken English competencies.
Copyright (c) 2026 John Tombola Barabara (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Humanizing Teaching through Digital-storytelling to Reinforcing Creative Problem-solving and Empathy with AI
The role of AI-powered technology in language learning has revealed its benefits on leveraging different learning skills, such as writing, and speaking. The use of AI can engage learners in creative thinking based on imagination of the future. As AI has been widely used in writing, this study set out to explore how EFL students experience empathy through digital storytelling. In this paper, the researcher explored students’ perceptions of lesson instructions to develop their creative writing, focusing on their ability to demonstrate empathy and emotional intelligence through the completion of the story. In each lesson, students were instructed to read, and tell a story, and finally were assigned to project the future for two characters in a short film entitled ‘The Other Pair’, which they watched and discussed in class. The aim of the assignment is to explore the relationship between empathy and problem-solving. The researcher used students’ digital storytelling assignment for analysis and a questionnaire completed by 43 students to analyse both their perception of the speaking course, and their development of empathy-based creativity. The findings show that students shared a sense of future-related empathy for each character. This study has implications for theory and practice, as humanising the classroom by enhancing students’ creativity could develop empathy through the power of imagination and increase emotional intelligence. This study contributes to the literature of empathy that the use of AI tools can empower creative problem-solving skills.
Copyright (c) 2026 Wafa Zekri (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Exploring Video Blog (Vlog) Entries as Edutainment Stimulus to Teach English Speaking Skills in A Malaysian Secondary School
The review of this paper is associated with the Vlog entries in the Malaysian secondary school to achieve greater English-Speaking skills in this regard. The orientation of primary research-based evidence can be determined within the Malaysian secondary experience to be determined within edutainment. The orientation of teaching English for students and speaking operations further enhanced the biggest values for educational achievement. Raising more values for the students with long-term resilience can be determined within the Malaysian education system. Following a better opportunity to be determined as a Malaysian secondary learning activity. An adaptability of learning with the operational learning practice is further assembled within the professional values in this regard. Through the evaluation of data interpretation further consolidated a bigger impact on educational sustainability in future.
Copyright (c) 2026 Norfarizan Binti Mohamad (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Implementing Silence Pedagogy in English Language Teaching through a Neuropedagogical Approach in Indonesia
Silence in Indonesian EFL (English as a Foreign Language) classrooms is frequently misinterpreted as a sign of disengagement, often rooted in cultural stereotypes of passivity and respect for authority. Such assumptions risk overlooking students' individual identities, learning preferences, and cognitive needs. This conceptual review proposes an integrated framework that combines silence pedagogy with a neuropedagogical approach to enhance cognitive engagement, emotional well-being, and writing performance among Indonesian university students. Drawing from sociocultural and poststructural perspectives, as well as neuroscience-informed teaching practices, the study reframes silence as a productive cognitive-affective tool in EFL writing instruction. The framework consists of five interconnected components: silent pre-writing reflection, focused silent writing time, memory consolidation through quiet periods, emotionally safe and stimuli-reduced environments, and metacognitive self-regulation. These principles are grounded in brain-based learning strategies that foster attention, reflection, and creativity. A practical sequence of classroom activities is provided to support implementation, particularly for teaching argumentative writing to advanced-level undergraduate learners. This model has three major implications. First, it enhances student well-being and language output by validating silence as an intentional cognitive process. Second, it supports teacher professional development by challenging deficit views of silent learners and offering inclusive pedagogical practices. Third, it contributes to curriculum reform in Indonesia by integrating silence into evidence-based instructional design for EFL writing. Overall, this study advocates for reimagining silence as a strategic pedagogical resource that, when supported by insights from neuroscience, can foster deeper learning and greater equity in language education.
Copyright (c) 2025 Yulia Puspita Arum (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Exploring the Role of the Multilingual Teacher in ELT in Higher Education
In higher education, the way the English language is being taught has been a debate for years in numerous European countries, and specifically, in France. In recent years, while more and more of classes are in English (English as a Medium of Instruction), there are no language classes per se; linguistic aspects such as grammar and lexis are being outsourced to an online platform where the student is perfectly autonomous. While such platforms are certainly efficient and cost-effective ways to improve students’ language skills without cutting into class hours,notions of culture and diversity—fundamental aspects of learning a foreign language—tend not to be mentioned in such online settings. Nonetheless, our students exist in a multilingual and multicultural world and therefore, need to encounter such notions in higher education contexts. Teaching a language goes far beyond the dichotomy between native and non-native speakers teachers, but “between those who know how to teach just one standard national language and those who know how to teach multilingual crossing skills.” (Kramsch and Zhang, 2018:4), and intercultural competence is a tangible proof that this need exists. At Quest Education Group, a French vocational school specialized in video games and cybersecurity, it is fundamental to raise awareness on intercultural competences. Most of our students will then work at international companies, where not only language skills will be needed, but also intercultural ones. This paper assesses the current situation in higher education in a monolingual setting, specifically in France, then provides and suggests solutions to promote multilingualism and multiculturalism and integrate plurilingualism in the classroom. By using case studies from my own experience at Quest Education Group in France as Head of Department through narrative inquiry, this article highlights the reality of multilingual and multicultural teachers, alongside the teacher leader’s reality.
Copyright (c) 2025 H. Pattio Combe (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Teaching Grammar through the Consciousness-raising Approach in the Context of English as a Foreign Language at University Level
Grammar is a body of rules which govern the structure of words (stem or stem plus prefixes and/or suffixes), and rules which govern the structure of clauses and sentences (specific order of words in a clause or a sentence) that are acceptable to native speakers. This knowledge is needed in order to gain insights into the structure of a language and be able to use it effectively. In the context of English as a Foreign Language at University level, the Consciousness-raising Approach is believed to be the most suitable approach in order to develop language awareness. This approach, based on explicit formulation, leads to implicit acquisition with practice. The learners become aware of the new language item then produce it. For this purpose, a textbook, based on the belief that learning a foreign language involves understanding its grammar and knowing how to apply its rules, has been developed for University English as a Foreign Language students. In this textbook, students are first presented with language elements in the form of definitions with illustrations of form, meaning, use and culture (Part One: What You Need to Know). Then, they are involved in the appropriate use of the form, meaning and use of the target structure through controlled and free activities (Part Two: What You Need to Do). Then, they go through authentic contexts derived from 268 references where these language elements occur naturally and involve the students in the development of their knowledge of form, meaning, use and culture (Part Three).
Copyright (c) 2025 Prof. Dr. Farida Abderrahim (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Introducing the Flipped Classroom Approach in an English for Specific Purposes Subject at a Spanish University
The Flipped Classroom (FC) teaching approach has emerged as an innovative teaching model for higher education Nursing studies, especially when aligned with the implementation of English programs in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) subjects in university degrees. The core focus of the Flipped Classroom approach is to provide learners with a more interactive, student-centered learning environment, aiming to better equip nursing students with critical thinking, reasoning, and problem-solving skills vital for addressing the challenges of modern healthcare. This research explores how this pedagogical strategy has been implemented within a specific Nursing degree course at a Spanish university. The FC approach improves not only students’ learning skills, self-directed learning, and critical thinking, but also this educational approach in a first year English for Specific Purposes course serves as a springboard to help learners tackle more advanced ESP subjects in later stages of their Nursing studies. This study advocates for further exploration and adoption of the FC approach in Nursing studies, highlighting its role in fostering the quality of training and preparing competent healthcare professionals for international practice.
Copyright (c) 2025 Vanesa Torres-Cano (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Students' Engagement and Learning Strategies towards English: A Case Study in Togo, West Africa
This paper sheds light on how students manage their own learning and how they engage in developing the knowledge and skills they acquire throughout the learning. It involves the researcher and participants working together to understand which best methods to achieve the learning goals. The 80 study participants are enrolled to an English upskilling programme designed to students at Lomé University. They are from a wide range of backgrounds. The programme encourages participants to become active and helps them build their knowledge and own understanding. At the beginning of the programme, the participants were provided with guidance and methodology on how to enhance their skills. The method used is based on qualitative research of a survey of 30 items. The results of the research gather in-depth insights into students’ learning strategies, assess their approaches to learning, how they regulate their learning processes and how they achieve their outcomes. The research is also based on systematic observation of students when they are learning. The research reports and analyses the results on how they reflect on their learning and experience. The study also assesses their willingness to improve their English skills. The results show the students’ approaches to the curriculum and how active they have become in their own learning.
Copyright (c) 2025 Dr. Lovatiana Raveloarison (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Transliteration of Non-Latin Texts: From Everyday Practice to Linguistic Technologies
This paper discusses various transcoding systems designed to convert non-Latin texts into Latin script. Particularly significant is Romanization for Slavic languages. In general, the Latinization systems are categorized into two classes: those based on the transliteration approach and the ones based on practical transcription. During transliteration, the main attention is paid to simple correspondence (mutual unambiguity) between original and converted characters that allows for text reversibility, i. e. the ability to restore the original text after re-transliteration. During practical transcription, the primary concern is the sound of words in the original or another language, mostly English. In the last scenario, it is not always possible to restore the original text. The significance of transliteration extends to historical texts written in non-Latin scripts as well. Latinization systems are broadly utilized in multilingual Natural Language Processing tasks, resulting in their wider use and enhanced need.
Copyright (c) 2024 Maksym Vakulenko (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Challenges of Effective English Language Teaching in Saudi Schools: An Exploratory Study
Teaching English language effectively is essenitail in promoting learners' production of the language. Although the Ministry of Education has spent a tremendous work to develop the teaching of EFL in public schools, still some issues could hinder some plans. This study aims to explore in the Saudi context the difficulties that face EFL teachers and prevent them from applying effective methods to enhance learners' production of the language. This study used a quantitative questionnaire to collect data to achieve the purpose of this research. The participants of this study included 121 EFL teachers from different cities in Saudi Arabia. The main result revealed that the main challenges were related to used required textbook and the time of the class.
Copyright (c) 2024 Dr. Nurah Alfares (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Advancing Social Competence and Reducing Disruptive Behavior in Young Learners: The Impact of Kagan Cooperative Learning Strategies among Second Graders at the Islamic Educational College, Amman
This study investigates the impact of Kagan Cooperative Learning Strategies on advancing social competence as well as reducing disruptive behaviors among second graders at the Islamic Educational College in Amman, Jordan. The study was conducted on a sample of 50 male and female students, all Arabic native speakers, assigned randomly into experimental and control groups with 25 students in each group. Students in the experimental group were taught using Kagan strategies, while traditional methods were applied to those in the control group. The study uses a blend of quantitative assessments, including behavioral checklists, standardized tests, and a questionnaire completed by 15 teachers, as well as qualitative observations such as teachers’ interviews and focus groups. The study evaluates shifts in students' social behaviors, including cooperation, communication, initiation, empathy, and classroom conduct. The findings reveal a significant enhancement in students’ social competence and a notable decrease in their disruptive behaviors. Teachers reported improved student participation, a more organized classroom environment, and increased peer cooperation. The results emphasize the effectiveness of Kagan Strategies in contributing to Jordanian young learners’ educational development, advocating for Kagan’s broader implementation in Jordanian educational settings.
Copyright (c) 2024 Haneen Alshaboul (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Unveiling the Transformative Landscape: Pedagogical Approaches Integrated with Technologies in Foreign Language Learning Pre- and Post-COVID-19
Improving education and reshaping society, Covid-19 and ChatGPT have emerged as influential factors. This research aims to delve into the impact of these disruptions on foreign language teaching and learning, with a specific focus on English. It is noteworthy that information and communication technologies (ICT) have significantly contributed to changes in pedagogy. The study examines 5,000 research articles spanning from 2015 to 2024, investigating the effects of various popular digital tools, including Web 2.0, Interactive Whiteboard, Mobile devices, Virtual Reality (AR and MxR), Social Media, Robots, and GenAI, on EFL pedagogical activities. These activities encompass the acquisition of English skills and knowledge, such as reading, listening, speaking, writing, vocabulary, and grammar, as well as English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and English for Special Purposes (ESP) in both formal and informal educational settings. The paper identifies shifts in the relationship between teachers, pedagogy, and learners due to technological interventions. Furthermore, it presents a transformed EFL landscape following COVID-19, highlighting the emergence of Emergent Remote Teaching (ERT) and its profound implications for technology-integrated teaching and learning strategies.
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)
Copyright (c) 2024 Yao Tang (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Teaching of French as A Foreign Language at Tertiary Level: From Prescriptive to Descriptive - A Sociolinguistics Approach
French as a Foreign Language (FLE) teaching has undergone many transformations, from the grammar-translation model to the cognitive and direct methods to the more recent versions of communicative approaches. The focus on Francophonie instead of only on Metropolitan France has expanded and found its way in the teachings manuals and the classroom practice to introduce students to different uses, vocabulary and accents. Migration trends have also brought to the language other verbal or non-verbal items (foreign words, “steupsing”) that are now part of 21st century French. We will try in this paper to show why it is important as instructors to be mindful of these changes, while also reflecting on how to approach the recent phonological and grammatical shifts (affrication, disappearance of the “un” sound in metropole, disjunctive pronouns replacing demonstrative ones) noted over the past decades that have transformed the way French sounds and is used by the younger generations. The FLE teachers find themselves in a new situation where they have to decide whether to teach “the rule” vs “the usage”, that is the way the language is evolving, or at least make the conscious decision to expose non-native students to the different existing variations, so that they can recognize them when they see or hear them in real-life situations.
Copyright (c) 2024 Maitrejean Eric (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
L2 Pragmatic Advancement: The Interplay of Individual Differences
Effects on individual differences factors on second language (L2) pragmatic competence are of interest to researchers because advancedness in L2 pragmatic competence is directly related to learners’ personal traits and their knowledge of contextual factors. In a study abroad (SA) setting, prior studies have found that despite the abundant learning affordances in an SA context, learners vary in their use of such opportunities, such as social contact, to increase L2 pragmatic competence. One possible factor is motivation. Adopting the recent theory on L2 motivation, this study examined the connections between L2 motivational selves and pragmatics in interaction. The participants were four U.S. learners of Chinese who studied and interned abroad in Fall 2021 and 2022. They completed a role-play task on pragmatics in interaction, a survey on learning background and social contact, a survey on L2 motivational selves, and a semi-structured interview on their study abroad experience. The results indicate that both L2 motivational selves and the quantity and quality of L2 social contact influence interactional pragmatics in an SA setting. By highlighting the joint effect of individual differences factors, the study makes theoretical and methodological contributions to the broader field of L2 pragmatics.
Copyright (c) 2024 Jun Lang (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Importance of English Language Proficiency in Performance Athletes. Case study – Republic of Moldova
The trend in sports competitions has always been to involve as many participants as possible from different areas and with different physical performances. In the contemporary era, we are witnessing the unfolding of various sports competitions with overwhelmingly numerous worldwide participation. We can thus understand how important it is and how much depends, in such conditions, good organization and functioning of things on effective communication, both of the organizers with each other, and of the organizers with the Olympic teams of the participating countries and with each athlete in part, throughout the course of the event. It is already a well-known fact that the official languages of the Sports Games are French and English, with the undisputed predominance of English. The lingua franca role of these languages is easy to understand and their effectiveness easy to put into context. This is the reason why this article proposes a redigraphy of the reforms introduced and applied in the Republic of Moldova to support the linguistic groups in their integration into the great family of international sports in the context in which the speakers of the Republic of Moldova were - and still are many of them - under the empire of the Russian language - the only one they learned and used.
Copyright (c) 2024 Assoc. Prof. Gheorghe Braniște, Assoc. Prof. Gina Aurora Necula (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Competing Native Languages in the Republic of Moldova – Politics versus Policy Making in Education
The situation in the Republic of Moldova is not unique in the world, especially as most of the former Soviet Union Countries have gone through the same politically motivated language reforms. The main reform experienced by all the member states of the Soviet Union was to accept the Russian language, with the status of lingua franca at first, and then to have it assumed by the speakers as their native language, despite the fact that their ethnic roots does not support this. This is why, with many citizens of the Republic of Moldova, we have to distinguish between the heritage language, which is, in most cases, Romanian, Gagauz, Bulgarian or Ukrainian, and the language declared as native – the Russian language – on the premises of the fact that it has become to be better known and more frequently used. This is how, in most of the cases, the link with the inherited language has been erased from the collective mind and the borrowed language has gained priority. It is paradoxical that the privileged status of the Russian language has been preserved over time, maintaining competition with the heritage languages, but especially with the Romanian language, which also has the status of an official language in the Republic of Moldova. Accordingly, the state of affairs described here is all the more interesting as a sociolinguistic phenomenon due to the fact that the socio-economic evolution should have created the premises the return to the ethnic and cultural linguistic motivated practices. The present article presents the conclusions of an analysis carried out over 10 years, together with the students mastering in "Romanian language - identity and cultural openness" carried out in cross-border partnership between the "Dunarea de Jos" University in Galați, Romania and the State University from Comrat, Gagauzia Autonomous Territorial Unit, from the Republic of Moldova. Consequently, our study analytically reflects the implications and repercussions of language policies dictated by politics, as well as the barriers created in public and private communication.
Copyright (c) 2024 Assoc. Prof. Gina Aurora Necula (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Enhancing Linguistic Awareness Through Microlearning: A Comparative Study of Multilingual French and English Learners of Catalan
Previously learned languages may influence and support language learning among mul5lingual learners (Puig-Mayenco et al., 2020). Equipping educators with diverse tools and resources empowers them to make more informed decisions in facilita5ng language learning for mul5lingual learners (Council of Europe, 2020). This holds par5cular significance in the case of minority languages like Catalan, where resource availability tends to be more restricted (TracyVentura et al., 2021). This paper provides an overview of a project aimed at iden5fying the specific needs of mul5lingual B1 learners of Catalan. Using a five-way classifica5on system encompassing linguis5c aspects, types of modifica5on, interlinguis5c influences, intralinguis5c causes and communica5ve consequences, the study compares wriMen produc5ons of mul5lingual learners from different linguis5c backgrounds (English and French L1 learners of Catalan). Sta5s5cal analysis reveals differences in the target language produc5on depending on the linguis5c background, enabling the research team to create just-in-5me microlearning capsules based on corpus analysis findings. The microlearning capsules were designed to enhance students' metalinguis5c awareness (Sirwan Mohammed et al., 2018; Angelovska, 2018) and provide automa5c correc5ve feedback (Nassaji & Kartchava, 2021) to support learning. Capsules were then made available via open access. Both student results, feedback, and teacher insights were collected to assess the educa5onal impact. Results indicate that students perceive the capsules as effec5ve tools and view the resources provided posi5vely. At the same 5me, teachers predominantly perceive interlinguis5c informa5on as beneficial to student learning. This project sheds light on how microlearning, tailored to common needs, can bolster mul5lingual learners' learning and teaching experiences.
Technological tools in foreign language teaching
Copyright (c) 2024 Prof. Anna Joan Casademont, Nancy Gagné (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Harmonizing Languages: The Impact of Multilingual Classroom Dynamics on Teaching Indonesian in Taiwan
This case study explores the complex interaction of multilingualism, particularly in Chinese and English, and its subsequent influence on the language of instruction within the realm of teaching Indonesian as a foreign language in Taiwan. This study took an Indonesian class as a case study with 28 participants which comes from various nationality. The data collection was derived from open-ended questionnaires and surveys administered to students in the class above. Additionally, students’ progress, as evidenced by assignments and feedback, serves as quantitative indicators to measure the influence of multilingualism on their language learning journey. Key objectives include examining the preferences and perceptions of students in the class regarding the use of Chinese and English in Indonesian language course instruction. The research explores instances of code-switching and code-mixing, shedding light on the dynamic language choices made by both teacher and students in the class. Through analysis of students’ progress, the study aims to discern tangible outcomes associated with the multilingual approach. This research contributes to the broader discourse on language education by providing empirical insights into the challenges and opportunities of multilingualism in the context of Indonesian language instruction in a national university class in Taiwan.
Copyright (c) 2024 Rini Sipahutar, Chang Te-Sheng (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Role of Art and Music in Enriching Adult Learning in Maltese as a Second Language
Currently, a considerable number of individuals from different backgrounds are being drawn to Malta due to its favourable environment for business, investment, and employment. This influx has led to a growing interest among expats in learning Maltese as a second language (ML2) to enrich their experience of working and residing in Malta. However, the intricacies of Maltese grammar, particularly challenging for second language (L2) learners unfamiliar with Arabic, can pose difficulties in the learning process. Furthermore, it's worth noting that the teaching of ML2 is an emerging field with limited existing research on effective pedagogical strategies. The realm of second language acquisition (SLA) can be notably demanding for adults, requiring well-founded interventions to facilitate learning. Among these interventions, approaches grounded in empirical evidence have incorporated artistic and musical elements to augment SLA. Both art and music have proven roles in facilitating L2 communication, aiding vocabulary retention, and improving comprehension skills. This study aims to delve into the utilization of music and art as catalysts for enhancing the progress of adult learners in mastering ML2. The research employs a qualitative methodology, employing a sample selected through convenience sampling, which encompassed 37 adult learners of ML2. These participants engaged in individual interviews. The data derived from these interviews were subjected to thorough analysis. The outcomes of the study underscore the substantial positive influence exerted by art and music on the academic advancement of adult ML2 learners. Notably, it emerged from the participants' accounts that the current ML2 curricula lack the integration of art and music. Therefore, this study advocates for the incorporation of art and music components within both traditional classroom settings and online ML2 courses. The intention is to bolster the academic accomplishments of adult learners in the realm of Maltese as a second language, bridging the current gap between theory and practice.
Copyright (c) 2024 Dr. Jacqueline Żammit (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0