Asian-Pacific Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education最新文献

The advent of innovative online tools has ushered in new possibilities for enhancing the quality of language learning. This study delved into the influence of the flipped classroom approach on augmenting the cognitive and meta-cognitive competence of EFL learners. Two distinct participant groups were enlisted for the study's sequential phases, necessitating varying sample sizes to compare the effects of the flipped classroom against traditional instructional modes on the improvement of EFL learners' self-regulated learning strategies and higher-order thinking. Homogeneous groups of language learners were essential for addressing the research inquiries, and participants were selected from two private language institutes in Arak, Iran. Multiple data sources, including a language proficiency test, the Self-Regulation Questionnaire, a flipped classroom attitude questionnaire, and the Higher-Order Thinking Skills Test, were employed to gather the necessary data. The results demonstrated a significant impact of flipped classrooms on learners' utilization of cognitive self-regulated learning strategies, indicating that the flipped classroom approach fosters students' development as self-directed learners. Concerning the influence of the flipped classroom on enhancing EFL learners' higher-order thinking skills, it was deduced that the flipped classroom significantly affected the learners' engagement in evaluating, analyzing, and creating. The implications of these findings underscore the potential of the flipped classroom approach to positively shape EFL learners' self-regulated learning and higher-order thinking skills, advocating for its incorporation into language education practices.

While gamified technology integration in vocabulary instruction within a flipped classroom has yielded beneficial teaching outcomes, specific studies have raised concerns about potential adverse effects linked to this approach. As a result, conducting a comparative analysis between gamified technology and conventional paper-based methods within the flipped classroom framework has become essential. This analysis aims to foster the development of a targeted teaching approach that adeptly addresses the unique needs of students. This study employed a sequential explanatory research design to examine the effectiveness of flipped classroom with gamified technology and paper-based method in teaching vocabulary to students with different proficiency levels. Quantitative data was gathered from a pretest and a posttest, whilst qualitative data was collected through teachers’ guided reflection. Using Academic Word List (300 target words), control groups employed a paper-based, while experimental groups applied gamified technology (Quizlet, Kahoot!, Quizizz, Socrative, and Google Form), which lasted 10 weeks. The participants were 144 non-English major students who took a general English course in the 2nd semester of 2023. Quantitative data analysis ran in SPSS 25 using Paired Sample t-Test and One-way ANOVA. The qualitative data were analyzed using thematic progression. The results showed that gamified technology did not affect students’ learning outcomes, while the paper-based method resulted conversely. It revealed that the paper-based method is more effective than gamified technology for students in general, with low proficiency and high-proficiency level. Further, teachers’ beliefs admitted distinctive issues that gamified technology was more effective for high-proficiency learners, whereas paper-based was more effective for low-proficiency learners. The difference analysis of quantitative and qualitative data sheds light on discussing threats while implementing gamified technology and possible solutions.

A professional training or staff development endeavor is known as an in-service program. During these programs, professionals get training and have the opportunity to discuss their work with others who are in their peer group. In the context of the field of education, the term "in-service classes" refers to the process by which instructors participate in additional education or training over the duration of their job in order to maintain or improve their level of professional knowledge, abilities, and practices. In spite of the fact that publicizing in-service programs for language teachers is of utmost significance, not enough focus has been placed on elaborating how they contribute to teacher-related traits. In this study, an effort was made to compare and contrast the outcomes and progress of language instructors who attended or did not attend an in-service program, as well as the effects of this decision on the teachers' resilience, immunity, L2-teacher grit, and reflective teaching. This research was of a quasi-experimental type, and it included participation from 103 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers. During this research project, members of the first group, known as the control group, were not required to attend any in-service courses, whereas members of the second group, known as the experimental group, were. According to the findings of the MANOVA, EFL teachers who participated in in-service training courses had a significantly better level of resilience, immunity, L2-teacher grit, and reflectivity. It is hoped that the outcomes of this study will shed light on the significant contributions offered by in-service training programs and open up new avenues for the mental well-being of EFL teachers.

Estimating the difficulty of reading tests is critical in second language education and assessment. This study was aimed at examining various text features that might influence the difficulty level of a high-stakes reading comprehension test and predict test takers’ scores. To this end, the responses provided by 17,900 test takers on the reading comprehension subsection of a major high-stakes test, the Iranian National University Entrance Exam for the Master’s Program were examined. Overall, 63 reading passages in different versions of the test from 2017 to 2019 were studied with a focus on 16 indices that might help explain the reading difficulty and test takers’ scores. The results showed that the content word overlap index and the Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease formula had significant correlations with the observed difficulty and could therefore be considered better predictors of test difficulty compared to other variables. The findings suggest the use of various indices to estimate the reading difficulty before administering tests to ensure the equivalency and validity of tests.

Textism, which refers to the special language used in text messaging, is widely used in several forms of communication, such as texting, online chatting and emails. This increased use of textism has alarmed the media and the public because this special language can impact the academic writing of the younger generation. This paper aimed at exploring the attitudes of undergraduate Saudi learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) toward using textism in their academic writing. (115) students of different levels of language proficiency completed a survey about the use of textism across several modalities and recipients. Additionally, (240) student essays were analyzed to identify the potential use of textism in student writing. The results showed that students are generally conscious of the appropriate contexts for the use of textism. However, when it comes to the actual use of textism in writing, low-proficient students tend to produce more textism than those who are at medium and high levels of writing competence.

Over the past few years, there has been an increasing focus on innovative approaches to language instruction in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts. Task-supported language Instruction (TSLI) has emerged as one such approach. While previous research has demonstrated the effectiveness of TSLI in improving language proficiency, its broader impact on learners' psychological and academic development remains relatively unexplored. This mixed-methods study aimed to investigate the effects of TSLI on academic buoyancy, self-esteem, creativity, and language achievement among 20 Iranian EFL participants. Semi-structured interviews were employed to measure academic buoyancy, self-esteem, and creativity qualitatively, while language achievement was assessed using the TOEFL iBT test. The study revealed that TSLI positively influenced academic buoyancy, fostering resilience and adaptive coping strategies among participants. Moreover, it significantly enhanced learners' self-esteem, promoting a positive and confident self-perception in their language abilities. Additionally, TSLI was found to facilitate creativity in the language learning process, encouraging imaginative thinking and creative expression in learners’ language use. Furthermore, the participants demonstrated improved language achievement after engaging in TSLI. The study's findings highlight the multifaceted impact of TSLI on various dimensions of language learning and learners’ overall experiences, underscoring the significance of learner-centered language instructional approaches in EFL contexts. The implications of this research contribute to the development of more effective and inclusive language instruction methods that enhance learners' academic buoyancy, self-esteem, creativity, and language achievement.