The study explores the unaddressed washback on the English-speaking test of the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE-English Language Paper 4). The HKDSE is a university entrance exam in Hong Kong which includes a group discussion speaking test known as English Language Paper 4. To identify ongoing washback effects,…

Teachers' professional identity is multifaceted and fluctuating, and while it is formally developed during initial teacher preparation, it is influenced by experiences before and beyond teaching programmes. The aim of this paper is to investigate the extent to which a module on language curriculum development may influence the professional…

This study investigated phase transitions in EFL students' speech fluency development using a complex dynamic systems perspective. Two students with different proficiency levels were selected from an intact speaking class. These students learned and practiced specific strategies to improve their speech fluency. Phase transitions were analyzed…

Dyslexia is one of the most common learning disabilities among students, and teachers are often the very first to notice dyslexic students. It is therefore imperative that teachers be well-prepared to intervene appropriately and effectively once they encounter dyslexic students. The current study investigates teachers' knowledge about the disorder…

In addressing vocabulary explanations in language classroom settings, a growing number of studies have examined the different ways teachers respond to the vocabulary explanation requests made by students in second language (L2) classrooms. Relatively lacking is an investigation into the nature of vocabulary explanation requests made by students in…

Translanguaging has gained prominence as a pedagogical orientation that promises to promote the rights of minoritized migrant students by valuing pre-existing multilingualisms and identities. However, the effects of classroom translanguaging on teacher and student outlooks and relations of inequality are far from universal. In this paper we…

Professionalism in English phrases is an indispensable tool for the enhancement of fluency and accuracy in communication. However, English second language learners face redundancy challenges apropos an effective use of phrases. The research investigated strategic intervention for selected deviant English phrases at the University of Venda. A…

This study engaged a group of Taiwanese English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) adolescent learners as multimodal composers who used PPT slides to retell important elements of Roald Dahl's classic novel, Matilda (1988). A total of 158 slides were made by 9 groups of students, and a detailed analysis of the slides revealed that text was often…

This study investigated the relationship between need for closure and need for cognition and foreign language anxiety and enjoyment. The participants of the study were 232 EFL learners at a university in Iran. Self-report questionnaires on need for closure, need for cognition, foreign language classroom anxiety and foreign language enjoyment were…

Though a number of studies addressed the current needs in EFL teachers' training, a main research gap yet to be addressed is investigating the efficacy of the professional development of in-service teachers using an instructional model and its actual impact on students. Through using three instruments -designed by the author- that included: (a…

The study explored the impact of multimedia-enhanced STEAM activities on English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' development of oracy skills and willingness to communicate (WTC) in an online course. The sample included 42 EFL learners who were randomly split into two groups with 21 students in each. Before the study, both groups' listening…

Since 2000, technology-enhanced L2 listening development (TELD) has been increasingly investigated. However, systematic reviews concerning the technologies, learning tasks, and outcomes of TELD remain limited. To fill this gap, we conducted a systematic review of publications from 2000 to 2022 on TELD from the perspectives of technologies,…

A large number of research studies have highlighted the relevance of oral narratives for describing children's linguistic constraints, developmental stages of narrative discourse patterns, and sociocultural identities. Yet, little research has been found on the use of oral narratives as a means to longitudinally improve oral discourse coherence…

With the sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the education sector adopted distance and online learning through several web-based systems. Then, considerations of educational practitioners concerning these systems would be of pivotal significance for revealing the quality of online language education. Moreover, the challenges they encountered…

The present study was conducted to see the extent to which intensive online individualized guidance sessions could help a second/foreign language (L2) learner of English with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at an undergraduate level to write an academic essay in the education field with citations and references. The sessions, 30 minutes each, were…