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Exploring the Relationships between Chinese Language Teachers’ Perceived English Proficiency, Teaching Self-Efficacy, and Professional Development
Get PDFResearch has found a positive correlation between the English proficiency, teaching self-efficacy and professional development (PD) of English-as-a-Foreign-Language teachers who are L2 speakers of English. Yet, there is scant research on these variables for teachers of other languages teaching in English-speaking countries. This mixed-methods study investigated the connections between perceived English proficiency, self-efficacy in applying professional standards, and PD of secondary-school Chinese language teachers in the State of North Carolina. Quantitative results identified participants’ perceived English proficiency as a significant predictor of self-efficacy. A significant negative correlation was found between participants’ perceived English proficiency and PD benefits. Qualitative results indicate that participants’ self-efficacy and perceptions of the benefits and support of PD were positively impacted by affirmation and emotional support, whereas cultural barriers and lack of PD self-initiation had adverse effects. Analyses of the integrated findings also address the study’s implications for teacher educators and researchers
The Effects of Explicit and Implicit Oral Corrective Feedback on L2 Learning: The Case of That-Trace Filter
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of explicit corrective feedback (CF) strategies (i.e., metalinguistic feedback and explicit correction) versus implicit CF methods (i.e., recasts and explanation questions) in helping English language learners acquire the that-trace filter. To this end, one hundred twenty intermediate English learners were recruited. Each participant was randomly assigned to one of five groups: control, recast, metalinguistic feedback, explicit correction, and clarification request. The participants were given a written production test (WPT) and a grammaticality judgment test (GJT) as pre- and posttests, respectively. The experimental groups underwent two sessions of treatment that included interactive activities. These activities were designed as information-gap tasks that utilized the that-trace filter. Participants received CF that focused on their wrong answers based on the groups they were assigned to. The posttest results indicated that the experimental groups significantly outperformed the control group. When comparing the experimental groups’ results on receptive and productive tests, however, no statistically significant differences were found. In addition, a semi-structured interview was conducted with 12 individuals. The findings indicate that teachers’ CF has a significant role in enhancing students’ acquisition of L2 complex grammar structures
International Postgraduate Students’ Perceptions of Learning Difficulties and Their Impact on Academic Performance in British Universities
Get PDFThis qualitative study explores the perceived academic differences encountered by Asian postgraduate students studying in British universities and their impacts on the students’ academic achievements. To achieve this aim, semi-structured interviews were conducted with five postgraduate students of diverse Asian background studying at a prominent British university. The results indicate that the assessment, teaching and learning methodologies, and communication systems are perceived as the major areas of differences. Consequently, the perceived differences lead to challenges in adapting to the demanding requirements of critical academic writing, using specialized language for disciplinary communications, and embracing independent study patterns. The findings also highlight some positive outcomes associated with the experience of studying within a Western education system, as reported by the learners. The implications of this study are significant for British universities as they underscore the importance of recognizing the underlying challenges faced by international students while studying in the UK. 
Embedding Social-Emotional Learning into Pre-Service ESOL Teacher Education
Get PDFThis paper outlines an exploratory study intended to document the contribution of a course unit on social-emotional learning (SEL) for English learners on English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teacher candidates’ beliefs concerning the approach. The paper begins with an overview of the concept of SEL and its importance in education. The paper then highlights several investigations that have examined the role of SEL in educator preparation from various perspectives. Next, the paper summarizes the logistics of a course unit on social-emotional learning for English learners embedded within a TESOL methodology course and outlines an exploratory study intended to determine the relevancy of the unit to participants’ convictions regarding the approach and its specific applicability to multilingual learners of English. Finally, the paper displays the preliminary results of the study and discusses the importance and relevancy of the findings for ESOL teacher education. 
Exploring the Relationship between Dispute Resolution and Organizational Performance: An Empirical Study on the Impact of Communication Climate
Get PDFIneffective communication is a dominant source of instability and significant worker dissatisfaction in the manufacturing industry, including the readymade clothing sector. Workers’ dissatisfaction at the workplace creates labor unrest. Consequently, productivity may be significantly affected by labor unrest, which is an inevitable component of any industrial operation. A harmonious work environment, free from conflicts among employees, should be a focus for every successful organization. This research suggests that the communication climate be implemented as a resolution technique for workplace disputes. Data was collected through structured questionnaire surveys and random sampling in this quantitative research. Data was obtained from the readymade garment factories in Bangladesh. One hundred twenty employees participated in the survey. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyze the data. According to the research, the primary cause of poor business performance at the workplace in the sector is due to inadequate communication. Additionally, the investigation assessed the industry's employees' perspectives regarding the advantages of communication climate in dispute resolution. This study finds a positive correlation between dispute resolution techniques and the communication climate. Pluralist theory served as the theoretical foundation for the investigation in order to substantiate the notion that it provides resources such as knowledge, constructive criticism, and opportunities for growth of the sector
Corpus Analysis: Global Leaders’ Speech
Get PDFThe importance of communication strategies for global CEOs has been recognized. It is believed that their effective messaging to stakeholders and society not only inspires employees but also impacts stock prices and business performance. However, previous research has primarily focused on qualitative studies, such as case studies and interviews. There have been few studies that collected large amounts of speech data from business leaders and analyzed it using reliable methods. This study employs corpus data analysis to examine the issues by analyzing a large amount of linguistic data from speeches of global business executives at the Oxford Union and TED Talks. Using the concordance software AntConc, a keyword analysis was conducted against representative large-scale English corpora to extract keywords frequently used by the global business leaders (p< 0.05). Similarly, a cluster analysis was performed on these characteristic words to investigate specifically how the communication strategies are constructed, how the audience is guided, and how persuasion is achieved. The results indicated that global business leaders effectively use significant communication strategies to achieve their goals
Liquidity Risk Management in Islamic Banks: Review of the Literature and Future Research Perspectives
Get PDFThis paper explores the distinctive characteristics of liquidity risk faced by Islamic banks as well as the typical challenges and constraints faced by these institutions; it also examines the strategies employed by these institutions to effectively manage and mitigate such risks. The inclusion of a literature review of most cited articles on the subject provides a summary of key studies and research conducted in the field of liquidity risk management in Islamic banking. It aims to cover various aspects of liquidity risk management in Islamic banks, including risk identification, measurement, mitigation strategies, governance, interbank relationships regulatory considerations, and the role of Shariah compliance. It offers both researchers and practitioners seeking comprehensive knowledge on the subject an overview of the existing body of knowledge, enabling them to understand the current state of research and build upon existing insights. By offering a comprehensive coverage of current information and practical strategies available in the literature, this paper aims to add significant value to the understanding and implementation of liquidity risk management in Islamic banks. We mean for it to serve as a valuable resource for researchers, practitioners, regulators, and stakeholders involved in Islamic finance and risk management. By stressing the persistent need for effective liquidity risk strategies in the Islamic banking sector and offering insights into the application of liquidity risk management practices that align with Islamic finance principles, we attempt to address a gap in the existing literature that could constitute the basis for future research perspectives
A Silver Lining: Metaphors Suggesting Professional Development through Emergency Online Language Teaching in Primary Education
Get PDFThe aim of this qualitative study was to investigate the way Hungarian primary language teachers coped with emergency remote teaching (ERT) introduced during the Covid-19 epidemic and the effects this mode of teaching exerted on their subsequent face-to-face teaching practice. While there are scores of studies written on the subject, hardly any have focussed on primary language education; hence our choice of the primary school sample. Out of a multi-item online questionnaire forwarded to all the primary schools in Hungary, we decided to focus on the last two items only, namely those which requested the 706 volunteering respondents to suggest two metaphors with concomitant brief explanations: one to describe their experiences of online teaching in 2020, and another one to specify the changes they perceived in their professional attitudes and competences by the time of administering the survey in 2022. The results demonstrate a decisively positive shift as the respondents realised that the digital expertise that they had gained during ERT would help them teach more effectively in the “real” classroom. The study also raises the issue of what educational authorities and teacher educators should do to promote digital education in pre- and in-service training
The Impact of ENGAGE Model and TBLT Application on the Overall Writing Ability of Iranian EFL Learners
Get PDFThe need to create more efficient approaches to teaching L2 writing has grown due to the increasing demands placed on English writing proficiency in a global setting. The present investigation aimed to explore the impacts of the ENGAGE Model and task-based language teaching (TBLT) method on Iranian EFL learners' overall L2 writing performance. According to their performance on the standard Oxford Quick Placement Test, 67 Iranian female EFL learners between 18 and 25 years old were chosen for this quasi-experimental study. The participants were divided into three groups at random: the ENGAGE group (N=22), the TBLT group (N=24), and the control group (N=21). The participants were given a writing pretest to verify their L2 writing homogeneity. Then, they went through 12 sessions of instruction. After the treatment, the participants received the writing posttest to measure the learners' development in L2 writing. One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) revealed that the ENGAGE model more substantially impacted Iranian EFL learners' overall L2 essay writing skills than the TBLT. ELT professionals, curriculum designers, English teachers, and learners can utilize the study's findings to solve linguistic and metalinguistic problems
Diane Larsen-Freeman’s Fifty-Year Contributions to Language Learning and Teaching: A Systematic Review and Diane Larsen-Freeman’s Personal Reflection
Get PDFThe systematic review was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, we (Ali Panahi and Hassan Mohebbi) reviewed Diane Larsen-Freeman’s whole works, analyzed her overall contribution to the fields of language learning and teaching and then extracted and analyzed the varying areas of interest she has researched; the most focused and prevalently investigated issues in the order of dominance appeared to be SLA, complexity theory, teaching grammar, complexity theory and second language acquisition/second language development, complexity theory and applied linguistics, morpheme studies, teaching methodology, ESL index of development, teacher education, and ELF. Next, we created two main superordinate components, each containing their own subparts: a theory-practice link (annotations and relevance to language pedagogy or research) and main themes (article theme, technical terminology, and design types). Upon providing an account of a theory-practice link, we finally extracted a total number of 1160 terms sub-grouped into 462 technical terms for applied linguistics, 183 technical terms for complexity theory and 182 main terms for theories, approaches, methods, hypotheses, and views. The other umbrella issues are also briefly elaborated. In the second phase, Diane Larsen-Freeman provided her discussion of this systematic review and her personal reflection