Eurokd | European Knowledge Development Institute
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Japanese EFL Speakers’ Fluctuation of Willingness to Communicate: Its Interplay and Association with Feedback
Full text linkThe concept of Willingness to Communicate (WTC) is essential for understanding Japanese learners’ engagement in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms. WTC, a complex construct that varies throughout interactions, is influenced by several factors, including corrective feedback. This study examines the situational WTC of four Japanese EFL learners, focusing specifically on its relationship with corrective feedback, an essential tool for teachers to help students recognize and correct their errors. The research involved low-intermediate and advanced speakers who participated in interactive communicative tasks with the researcher. Data were collected through recorded and transcribed spoken interactions, supplemented by participants' self-evaluations and a stimulated recall interview conducted after each activity. The analysis combined quantitative and qualitative methods to reveal fluctuations in WTC influenced by feedback type, timing, and delivery method. Findings offer valuable insights into effective feedback strategies, emphasizing their potential to enhance students’ WTC, engagement, and overall language proficiency in EFL contexts. This study underscores the dynamic nature of language learning and highlights the crucial role of well-timed, constructive feedback in fostering communicative competence and motivation among Japanese EFL learners
Contextualising High School English Teachers’ Well-Being in China: Validating and Extending PERMA in the Chinese School Context
Full text linkAs language teacher well-being research has grown in popularity in the past decade, different models of conceptualisation and measurement have emerged, with PERMA being one of the most widely cited in the literature. However, its validity and suitability for the Chinese school context remain unclear. This study aims to validate and extend PERMA by contextualising it among high school English teachers in China. Data were collected from 408 teachers through an online questionnaire that included demographic information, the PERMA Profiler, and an open question. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to examine the cross-cultural validity and reliability of PERMA, and thematic analysis was used to identify new elements in well-being conceptualisation. The findings revealed complex results of the cross-cultural validity of PERMA. Answers to the open question extended the original conceptualisation of PERMA and revealed three new well-being concepts: low-arousal emotions, security and mindfulness. Implications for enhancing the use of PERMA among language teachers and for improving language teacher well-being are discussed
Examining the Use of PRAAT to Improve English Lexical Stress Production: Insights from Self-Directed Learning within the Framework of Self-Determination Theory
Full text linkThe study aims to examine how PRAAT visual feedback can improve pronouncing English lexical stress and support self-directed learning based on the conceptual framework of self-determination theory. The study involved a total of 80 EFL learners aged 18 to 22 years from Saudi Arabia and Yemen, with varying levels of English proficiency. Pre- and post-tests assessed the lexical stress phonetic features, namely duration, intensity, and fundamental frequency (F0), to evaluate pronunciation improvements. The study also conducted interviews to pinpoint the effect of PRAAT on the learner’s autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Results showed significant enhancement in vowel duration, intensity, and F0 in the experimental group, indicating that PRAAT effectively supported the learners to improve production of English lexical stress. The improvements in vowel duration were more noticeable due to the clearer visual representation of duration measurement in PRAAT. However, vowel intensity and F0 showed varied enhancements based on the participants’ proficiency levels. The interviews further highlighted the learners' autonomy, competence, and relatedness in improving their English pronunciation using PRAAT. The interview results shed light on individual needs and call for teachers’ consistent directions. This study provides insights into the interplay of technology, pronunciation instruction, and learner autonomy, leading to more effective pronunciation learning
An Eccentric and Dialogic Autoethnography of Two Language Teacher Educators as an Extension of Self-Study Paradigm
Full text linkIn this rather eccentric manuscript, we invite you into our ongoing dialogue, which is a shared journey where we approach autoethnography as more than a method. It is a way of knowledging through conversation for us, two language teacher educators. Throughout, we reflect on how critical autoethnographic narrative allows us to voice our vulnerabilities, map our identities, and challenge the taken-for-granted norms and practices in language teacher education. Together, we meander through retro/intro/pro/spective reflections, blending theory with storytelling; mind with heart; English with occasional Turkish expressions; past, present, and future. We embrace autoethnography not only to understand who we are and how we got here as language teacher educators, but also to co-create spaces of healing, resistance, and transformation. Along the way, we question colonizing research practices, recognize affective turn and critical paradigm in the field, and make room for emotions, discomfort, and laughter. This piece is not a conclusion—it is a continuation. We speak, write, and remember loudly hoping that our readers/companions will not just act as onlookers, but participate in our dialogue in this being, becoming, knowing, and writing experience
Corporate Social Responsibility with a Gender Focus in the Healthcare Sector of Barranquilla, Colombia
Full text linkDespite advances in regulations governing working conditions with a gender focus, some economic sectors, such as the healthcare assistance sector, continue to exhibit significant inequalities in the labor protections offered to female employees. In Colombia, the gender-focused public policy (National Planning Department, 2022) establishes responsibilities and actions in the labor sphere to ensure equal opportunities. Therefore, this research aims to examine gender-based workplace violence in light of CONPES 4080 (2022) within a healthcare assistance organization in Barranquilla, Colombia. A mixed-methods, descriptive, non-experimental study was conducted with a sample of 34 participants. The instruments used included the IVAPT PANDO scale (Pando et al., 2006), which assesses the following dimensions: a) discrediting of competencies, b) isolation, c) work intensification, and d) stigmatization. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the human talent leader to understand the equity policies within the Corporate Social Responsibility program implemented by the organization. The results indicate that 58.82% of participants have experienced gender-based workplace violence, with low intensity reported in 56.25% of cases, particularly in vertical relationships. Although interviews revealed that the organization has institutional policies and programs with a gender focus, their practical application appears limited, as does the awareness of both national and local gender-oriented regulations and programs
Editorial: Special Issue in Honour of Carol A. Chapelle’s Decades-Long Contributions to Language Testing, Assessment and Learning
Full text linkDuring her distinguished career, Carol A. Chapelle has made profound contributions to the language testing, assessment and language learning fields. These contributions have significantly shaped the scholarship of applied linguistics, computer-assisted language learning (CALL), task-based language learning, and language assessment. Chapelle’s innovative research has consistently expanded the frontiers of how technology can be harnessed to enhance language learning and teaching, while also advancing theoretical frameworks that support effective assessment practices. Chapelle’s work has not only impacted academic research and publication but also informed practical applications and language policy development around the world, making her a pioneer in the integration of technology and technology-enhanced language education
Language Assessment and Learning through AI Technology: An Exploratory Study on Using GPT for Young EFL Learners’ Writing
Full text linkWith the rapid advancement of generative AI technology using large language models, various AI tools have emerged for educational use. Among these tools, ChatGPT has gained traction in second language (L2) writing due to its significant potential as a writing assistant for ESL/EFL learners. This study explored how young EFL students interact with and utilize feedback generated by GPT-4 for their writing. Conducted within the context of developing an automated writing feedback tool to support potential TOEFL Junior Writing test users, this article reports on our small-scale prototyping study, detailing the development of the prototype tool. Building on the extensive work by Carol Chapelle on the use of technology in L2 learning and assessment, our study offers new insights into young EFL students’ use of generative AI technology in their L2 writing development. The implications of our findings for further research and practice for using generative AI technology in language assessment and learning for young learners are discussed
Task-Based Learning and Innovation in CALL: Digital Game-Based Learning
Full text linkIn the course of her distinguished career, Carol Chapelle has conducted a wide range of innovative and impactful research that has intersected the fields of applied linguistics, computer-assisted language learning (CALL), task-based language learning and assessment. Among many noteworthy achievements, her work exploring the relationship between second language acquisition (SLA) theory, task-based learning and technological innovations has been particularly influential. In an effort to highlight ways in which advanced technologies can be used to enhance both language teaching and learning, she has authored significant papers that have drawn on SLA research to provide a comprehensive framework for the development and implementation of effective technology-mediated language learning. The rapid development of technology and its increasing application in CALL underscores the continued relevance of this approach. As an exemplar of this effort, this article examines the application of an influential innovation in contemporary CALL, namely, use of digital games. Drawing on important insights gained from the work of Carol Chapelle, this article identifies the parallels between effective tasks and the design elements of many digital games used in CALL. The discussion emphasizes the continuing importance of investigating the interrelationship between developments in SLA research and use of advanced technologies in language education
Impact of a Proficiency-Oriented, Assessment-Driven, Backward Design Model on Language Teachers’ Practices and Professional Identity
Full text linkDespite efforts to address calls for more language assessment literacy (LAL) training among teachers, few training initiatives emphasize the crucial relationship between assessment and instruction. To address this gap, a comprehensive program was implemented to support and strengthen assessment and teaching across languages at a research-intensive university. This study investigated the program’s impact on foreign language (FL) instructors’ language assessment knowledge and practices, their teaching methods and strategies, the design and choice of teaching materials, and their professional identities. Following a convergent mixed-methods design, our analyses of survey responses (N = 41) and interview responses (N = 14) from FL instructors revealed that a proficiency-oriented, assessment-driven, backward design model was effective in developing their language assessment knowledge and practices, including a deeper understanding of the testing-teaching relationship and task design. The model was also found to positively impact on the participants’ design and selection of materials and activities, and their teaching methods and strategies. Additionally, the instructors reported multiple positive impacts of the model on their professional identity, including enhanced confidence and sense of agency. This study provides important implications for LAL training and professional development for FL instructors
Fostering Preservice Teachers’ Professional Growth through Experiential Learning: Insights from Grammar Instruction
Full text linkTeachers play a vital role in fostering learner agency to unlock students’ full potential. Therefore, promoting the professional growth and development of student teachers through diverse approaches should be a core component of teacher education. This paper explores how experiential learning outside the formal curriculum facilitated different types of learning among a group of final-year preservice teachers. They participated in an experiential learning project aimed at developing online grammar teaching materials for primary and high school teachers worldwide. Throughout the project, the student teachers followed a four-stage experiential learning cycle and collaborated to develop innovative grammar teaching resources for school educators. The quantitative and qualitative data gathered in the study underscore the value of non-formal experiential learning in fostering student teachers’ professional growth. The outcomes included improved knowledge of grammar pedagogy, a deeper understanding of learners’ needs and grammar curriculum design, enhanced collegiality and increased confidence. This project has significant implications for teacher educators seeking to promote experiential learning as a strategy to enhance the professional competence, pedagogical knowledge and skills of prospective teachers for effective classroom instruction