Over the last two decades, the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) has become ubiquitous in ELT. In this article, I consider how differences in the way in which the framework is being interpreted by different powerful actors, including governments and for-profit organizations, affect its usability for ELT practitioners, a…

Situated within the context of EFL learning, which aims to foster the development of Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) among language learners, this research constitutes a segment of a doctoral dissertation exploring the advantages of utilizing the Autobiography of Intercultural Encounters through the Visual Media (AIEVM) to assess the…

This study examined the implementation of an alternative assessment in a course, Communicative English Skills Course (CESC), at three Ethiopian universities. The study mainly focused on multi-assessor strategies, multiple assessment tools, and comprehensive, progressive, continuous, and relevant assessment used by instructors at these three…

This research investigates impediments to the successful implementation of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) in Saudi English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms. Going beyond typical discussions on teacher training and curriculum development, the study explores entrenched resistance stemming from traditional teaching methods among teachers…

This state-of-the-art paper reviews studies employing role-playing as an instructional technique in English as a Foreign Language and English as a Second Language contexts. Through a systematic review of 32 peer-reviewed studies published between 2000-2023, the paper highlights the potential of role-playing to facilitate experiential learning and…

Teaching speaking skills to EFL learners remains a significant challenge, often hindered by traditional methods that prioritize rote learning over meaningful communication. This study investigates the impact of communicative language teaching (CLT) on the speaking skills of Grade 12 students, while also exploring their attitudes toward this…

In Canada, the federally funded Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) program follows a task-based language teaching (TBLT) approach using the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB). Aligned with other communicative language approaches, TBLT de-emphasizes systematic instruction of the morpho-syntactic elements of language. Although TBLT…

In the context of globalisation, classrooms have become meeting places for learners from an increasing variety of backgrounds. Intercultural education, anchored in many national curricula, is considered a key approach to doing justice to this growing plurality among students. In relation to fostering learners' intercultural (communicative)…

Despite the recognised importance of communicative competence in language acquisition, many English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners persistently grapple with affective barriers such as speaking anxiety, shyness, and demotivation, alongside underdeveloped social-emotional competence (SEC), challenges that traditional speaking instruction…

The article "Some Important Facts about Language Teaching/Learning: Basics and Assumptions" by Dr. Mahmoud M. S. Abdallah explores the foundational elements of language teaching and learning. It emphasizes the importance of language proficiency for personal, social, and professional success, highlighting the cognitive and societal…

Intercultural Competence Assessment (ICA) has recently become a central issue in applied linguistics in general, and language testing and assessment in particular. The present paper aims to investigate the difference between native and non-native assessment experts' beliefs about incorporating ICA in the Language Proficiency Assessment (LPA).…

This study investigated the feasibility and effectiveness of ELF communication strategy instruction for university students' communicative competence. Conceptual studies on ELF-informed pedagogy stress the importance of teaching strategies, which promote mutual understanding and positive relationships, but few empirical pedagogical studies exist.…

Even when proficiency in foreign languages has emerged as a critical skill to foster academic, professional, and personal growth, there remains a notable gap in the literature regarding the relation between language learning strategies (LLS) and communicative competence in English among Colombian high school students. This investigation used an…

Pragmatic competence is an essential element of communicative competence, which makes it relevant for speakers of all ages, including young language learners (YLLs). Despite the recognized importance of pragmatics, research of textbooks for adult second language (L2) learners to date has found them lacking in their approach to this key aspect of…

In the twenty-first century, the teaching and learning of foreign languages (FL) has shifted towards providing English as a foreign language (EFL) learner with the necessary skills in a cross-cultural encounter widely known as intercultural competence. Based on the notion that one's intercultural savvy depends on having a clear conception of what…