This study aims to explore the specific contributions of derivational, inflectional, and compounding morphological awareness to reading comprehension through decoding and syntactic awareness. A total of 181 Grade 3 and 4 Chinese primary school children learning English as a second language in Hong Kong participated in this study. The results of…

The study investigated how parental belief and family socio economic status (SES) were related to the home literacy environment and to early literacy-related skills in a foreign language (English). Eighty-six Chinese children in kindergarten (Mage = 5 years 5 months, 44 girls) were assessed on English phonological awareness, English receptive…

Researchers in the field of teacher knowledge have been attempting to delineate pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in different subjects and different levels of education. To date, there is a need to develop a nuanced understanding on the PCK of Early Childhood Education (ECE) teachers who teach English as a foreign language (EFL). This study…

As an effective teaching approach that allows teachers and students to interact collaboratively and actively build on each other's ideas, dialogic teaching can enhance classroom engagement and learning outcomes. This study addresses the use of dialogic teaching for improving English language learning among Chinese children with varied levels of…

This study focuses on the experiences and feelings of pre-school children in two different regions about English learning to identify attitudinal differences in these attitudes between remote and urban areas. The research adopted the elicited metaphor analysis (EMA) to investigate the interest and preferences for English learning of 160 Chinese…

This cross-sectional study examined materials adaptation within an English-Chinese bilingual storytelling curriculum for first graders to identify the potential factors influencing adaptation choice. It delved into the relationship between curriculum objectives, perceptions of picture books, and the use of tense and narrative. A survey (N=352)…

This experimental research examined the effectiveness of using chatbots in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms at a Chinese elementary school. Seventy-four students were divided into two groups: one employing traditional methods, and the other using chatbots. Before and after the 3-month teaching period, pre- and post-tests were used to…

We examined the developmental trajectories and cognitive predictors of first language Chinese reading, second language English reading, and mathematics skills in Hong Kong children in Grades 1-5. We used longitudinal data of 1,000 children (M[subscript age] = 7.59 years) assessed on phonological awareness, rapid naming, and morphological awareness…

After the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, distance teaching brought on unforeseen challenges around the world, including classroom-based assessment practice. However, little attention has been paid to teachers' assessment practice and their identity as assessor in the new teaching situation. This study examines Chinese K-12 in-service EFL…

The longitudinal study investigated the directionality and transfer mechanism of cross-linguistic transfer of phonological awareness between L1 and L2 in predicting early writing (word dictation) in Chinese children learning English as L2. Ninety primary school Grade 1 (P1) students were assessed on phonological awareness in Cantonese (syllable…

This study investigated the application of an artificial intelligence (AI) coach for second language (L2) learning in a primary school involving 327 participants. In line with Community of Inquiry, learners were expected to perceive social, cognitive, and teaching presences when interacting with the AI coach, which was considered a humanized…

We examined the effect of learning English as a foreign language in early childhood on children's later English and Chinese achievement and attitude toward English learning in mainland China. A total of 892 children were divided into two groups according to whether they had any English learning experience before they entered elementary school. To…

National curriculum standards for different countries mean some International Baccalaureate (IB) schools must often balance IB and national standards. Literature on how schools find this balance is limited. Using a qualitative case study design, we examined the perspectives of teachers of English in a Chinese IB school that recently employed a…

Previous studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of intelligent tutoring systems (ITS) in facilitating English learning. However, no empirical research has been conducted on secondary students' intention to use ITSs in the language domain. This study proposes an extended technology acceptance model (TAM) to predict secondary students'…

Despite empirical evidence in support of the effectiveness of using tasks in young learners' classrooms, task implementation has been repeatedly reported as a thorny problem. An essential but under-researched issue is how in-service teacher education programme can be conducted to facilitate teachers' implementing tasks in their classrooms. This…