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A SmartPLS4-based CB-SEM confirmatory factor analysis: A case of speaking needs for Chinese business English undergraduates
No full textOver the past decade, there has been an increasing emphasis on English for Specific Purposes (ESP) within China’s higher education language programs. However, the shift towards ESP presents a multifaceted challenge, particularly for business English teaching at higher education, where speaking proficiency is crucial yet often falls below expectations. Considering these issues, the authors of this study developed a scale based on relevant literature to pinpoint students' needs for Oral Business English (OBE) instruction, and to explore the interplay among constructs within the scale that define these needs. This quantitative study employed a two-phase approach, utilizing separate datasets and different sample sizes of Chinese business English undergraduates selected through simple random sampling. Phase one (N = 52) leveraged SPSS 29 for exploratory factor analysis (EFA), while phase two (N = 396) utilized SmartPLS4 for covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) in confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The findings reveal that the undergraduate respondents grapple with a total of five distinct needs related to OBE instruction. These include three target needs: difficulties in oral communication, oral challenges in collaborative engagement, and required speaking activities. Additionally, there are two learning needs: perceived learning styles and perceived course satisfaction. Significantly, as perceived by these undergraduate respondents, each of these needs was found to have a substantial impact on the effectiveness of OBE instruction in China
Pedagogical translanguaging in English classrooms: Teachers’ and students’ experiences in a Thai secondary school
No full textThis qualitative study examines how Thai EFL teachers utilize pedagogical translanguaging in multilingual secondary school classrooms, employing both planned and unplanned strategies to support English language learning. Grounded in Cenoz and Gorter’s (2021) multilingual pedagogical translanguaging model, the study investigates how teachers integrate students’ first languages (L1)—including Standard Thai and Isan—alongside English to scaffold comprehension, foster participation, and manage classroom interaction. Data were collected through classroom observations, video recordings, field notes, and stimulated recall interviews with three teachers and twelve students from three grade levels. Thematic analysis revealed five primary instructional functions of translanguaging: promoting engagement, enhancing understanding, boosting learner confidence, supporting mixed-ability groups, and facilitating classroom management. Students generally responded positively, citing increased clarity and reduced anxiety; however, some higher-proficiency learners preferred immersion approaches. The findings highlight the pedagogical value of translanguaging in EFL contexts, while also pointing to the challenges posed by prevailing English-only ideologies. The study advocates for more inclusive language education policies, enhanced teacher preparation in multilingual pedagogies, and ongoing research on learner experiences across diverse sociolinguistic contexts
The power of translanguaging: Theoretical insights and empirical evidence on language acquisition and social-emotional learning
No full textTranslanguaging, the dynamic use of multiple languages, offers a transformative approach to English Language Teaching (ELT) in multilingual classrooms. This study explores the impact of translanguaging on language acquisition and social-emotional learning (SEL) among multilingual learners. Seventy-five participants from rural colleges in Salem district, Tamil Nadu, were selected for the study. Using an empirical research design, participants engaged in translanguaging activities integrated with SEL principles. Data were collected through surveys comprising Likert-scale items and open-ended questions. The results demonstrated significant improvements in vocabulary acquisition, self-expression, and overall English proficiency. Additionally, translanguaging enhanced SEL competencies, including self-awareness, emotional management, cultural appreciation, and collaboration skills. Despite challenges such as limited teacher training and resistance from monolingual-dominant systems, the findings affirm translanguaging's potential to create inclusive and empowering learning environments. The study recommends further research to develop scalable strategies for implementing translanguaging in diverse educational settings
Interactive eAssessment of writing competency in French as a foreign language: Development and implementation of an AI-enhanced progress monitoring system
No full textAbstract
The assessment of writing competency in French as a Foreign Language presents significant challenges due to the multidimensional nature of writing and heterogeneous evaluation practices. This research introduces an innovative framework integrating artificial intelligence and interactive visualization to support the formative assessment of writing competency. The developed Interactive Curves Graph system combines automated analysis with stakeholder engagement in a learner-centered approach.
Through a qualitative study involving 15 French as a Foreign Language teachers across 3 primary schools in Morocco, we investigated the effectiveness of an AI-enhanced progress monitoring system. The participating teachers (mean age = 37.25 years, mean teaching experience = 17 years) implemented the system with 190 students across 7 classes. The methodology employed a design-based research approach, incorporating iterative development phases and comprehensive validation through teacher feedback and usage analysis. Data collection spanned 1.5 months and included semi-structured interviews, system interaction statistics, and detailed feedback analysis using Atlas.ti coding, with two distinct examination periods.
Results reveal three major contributions: (1) successful stakeholder integration through interactive visualization capabilities that support assessment objectivity, (2) AI-enhanced analysis facilitating pattern detection and immediate feedback, and (3) a multi-directional communication framework strengthening educational collaboration and decision-making. Teacher responses demonstrate that the Interactive Curves Graph system effectively addresses formative assessment challenges by combining computational rigor with pedagogical accessibility.
This research advances theoretical understanding and practical implementation of digital technologies in writing assessment. The findings suggest that the developed approach can significantly enhance writing competency eAssessment practices while opening perspectives for broader educational applications. The study’s limitations, including sample size and context specificity, indicate directions for future research in cross-cultural validation and longitudinal impact assessment.
Examining the relationship between teacher’s theoretical beliefs and classroom practices in teaching Arabic
No full textTheoretical knowledge is crucial for effective Arabic language teaching. However, it must align with teachers’ beliefs to influence classroom practices and impact learning outcomes, as teachers’ beliefs and classroom practices dynamically influence one another. This study aims to explore the theoretical beliefs of Arabic language teachers regarding to the approach to learn Arabic and to examine the relationship between teachers’ theoretical beliefs and their classroom practices. This study used a quantitative approach with a correlational method to investigate the theoretical beliefs of Arabic teachers regarding to the approach to teaching Arabic and the relationship between these beliefs and classroom practices. The research population consists of 37 teachers with 5 qualified teachers to be observed in their classroom practices based on the purposive sampling. Data were collected through questionnaire and observation, and Spearman’s Rank Correlation analysis was used to analyze the data. The results show that 1) Arabic language teachers have three different types of theoretical beliefs there are Dominant, Dual, and Multiple Beliefs in which Dual beliefs are more dominant than the other beliefs. 2) There is a positive relationship between the theoretical beliefs of Arabic teachers and their classroom practices. This study highlights the importance of pedagogical implications for the education of Arabic language teachers. It also to recommends that teacher training programs are designed to supply necessary skill to instructors to explore diverse theoretical and methodological approaches to Arabic language teaching, with an emphasis on the importance of a positive relationship between belief and practice
The effect of digital storytelling on learners` receptive and productive vocabulary knowledge
No full textThis study attempted to measure the effect of digital storytelling on learners' receptive and productive vocabulary knowledge. For this purpose, 48 intermediate English proficiency participants were divided into two equal groups: control and experimental. After conducting the reliable pretest, the treatment for the experimental group and the posttest, it was found that both groups showed progress toward the end of the experiment as the results of instructions; however, the experimental group's performance was significantly better than their counterparts in the control group. In addition, the analysis of the experimental group's scores in the posttest showed that digital storytelling helped the learners perform better on productive words than the receptive ones. The findings could be beneficial for the instructors, institutions, and learners.
Keywords: Digital storytelling, receptive, productive, vocabulary knowledg
Socioeconomic status as a predictor of vocabulary knowledge in Bangladeshi EFL tertiary students
No full textThis study investigates the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and the vocabulary range of tertiary-level EFL learners, a crucial yet unexplored area, particularly in developing countries. Therefore, by applying Bourdieu’s (1986) cultural capital theory, this study aims to identify the extent to which SES can predict the vocabulary range of learners and determine the most influential SES factors contributing to learners’ vocabulary range, thus addressing a gap in research of advanced-level EFL learners. The study employed a quantitative research design, collecting data from 366 students at the tertiary level. The data was analyzed using SPSS, Pearson correlation, multiple regression, and ANOVA. The results of the study indicate that there is a modest but significant correlation between SES and vocabulary range of tertiary-level EFL learners, with father’s occupation, learner’s school location (studied in schools of urban or rural areas), and educational background (English medium schooling or Bangla medium schooling) emerging as the strongest predictors. Thus, these findings extend Bourdieu’s theory in the South Asian context and offer valuable insights to Bangladeshi ELT policymakers and EFL educators in designing effective pedagogical interventions and vocabulary enrichment programs to facilitate disadvantaged learners
Development and validation of machine translation literacy scale for translation education
No full textThe rise of machine translation demands a fundamental shift in both translators’ roles and educational approaches. However, translation education research and practice have struggled to keep pace with the latest developments. To bridge the pedagogical gap, this study conceptualises machine translation literacy within the context of translation education and develops a diagnostic scale to assess students’ proficiency in machine translation literacy. Drawing on a review of existing literature and case studies on machine translation literacy applications in translation pedagogy and related disciplines, this study establishes an initial framework for machine translation literacy. To validate the structure and reliability of a proposed model for machine translation (MT) literacy, data were collected from 389 undergraduate and graduate translation students in South Korea and analysed using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). The analysis yielded a robust six-factor model encompassing risk management, verification and correction, basic knowledge, operational knowledge, flexibility, and transparency. This study provides a reliable assessment model for evaluating students’ machine translation literacy and lays the groundwork for the translation education planning at both macro and micro levels. Additionally, it positions machine translation literacy as an essential component within the broader theoretical framework of translation education research and serves as a foundation for expanding research into interdisciplinary domains
From emotion to acquisition: A bibliometric overview of social emotional learning in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) research
No full textThis study presents a bibliometric analysis of research on the relationship between Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and Second Language Acquisition (SLA). It explores publication trends, emerging research themes, influential authors, and geographical contributions to the growing intersection of emotional learning and language acquisition. A systematic search of Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and ERIC identified peer-reviewed journal articles and conference papers published between 2000 and 2025. The findings reveal a growing body of work emphasizing SEL’s role in enhancing SLA outcomes, particularly through emotional factors such as language anxiety, motivation, and learner engagement. Key contributors include the United States, United Kingdom, and China, with leading scholars such as Zoltán Dörnyei, Patricia A. Alexander, and Lauri R. MacIntyre. Keyword co-occurrence analysis highlights central themes including emotional intelligence, self-regulation, and classroom engagement. This analysis offers insights into how SEL strategies support emotional resilience and language learning while identifying directions for future research across diverse cultural and digital learning environments
Effect of word-focused activity on reading and learning of L2 vocabulary: A self-paced reading study
No full textMany researchers suggest that text-reading should be followed by an activity that requires learners to use the new vocabulary, before they read the text again. This article demonstrates the benefits of post-reading word-focused activity on vocabulary learningin an environment when there is no instructor support, particularly for second language (L2) high-intermediate learners compared with monolingual native speakers. But how exactly does this help? Does the post-reading activity make learners aware of gaps intheir knowledge of the new vocabulary? If it does, this may lead them to pay more attention to those words in a subsequent reading, ultimately resulting in vocabulary uptake. To address this question, the current study employed a self-paced reading task to examine the reading behaviors during the rereading of a text following a word-focused activity. The results suggested a potential benefit of engaging with target items during the word-focused activity for retaining the novel word’s meaning (p = 0.06). However, this word-focused activity did not result in increased attention to reading target items during the rereading task