This research examined the writing difficulties faced by Thai students taking the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic Writing module. The study examined error patterns in IELTS Writing Tasks to highlight how English writing proficiency impacts international university admission prospects. Despite universities commonly…

Feeling successful and accomplished is an important aspect of well-being according to Seligman's (2011) PERMA model, which seems to represent an interesting intersection of objective and subjective as well as individual and social factors that are all relevant to flourishing. This paper describes a pilot study aimed at developing an instrument for…

Educators and teacher educators can develop blind spots to professional ideas and issues. Objectivity may come through the eyes of someone outside the profession. This study looked at a higher education advisor studying education, but who had no intention to apply for licensure nor to teach. She participated in a materials development project to…

Background/purpose: Most Indonesian vocational university students majoring in a non-English program demonstrated low English mastery due to their lack of exposure to English in their previous studies. To tackle this problem, this study aims to guide vocational university students to spend more time on independent learning using the Cambridge…

Extensive Reading (ER) is widely recognized as an effective method for improving language proficiency and fostering reading motivation in English as a foreign language contexts. However, the success of ER programs depends on several factors, including student motivation, engagement, and preferences for book selection. This study examines the…

This article reports on research that examined the unique experiences of Chinese international students learning Pacific languages at the University of Auckland. In response to COVID-19 border restrictions between 2020 and 2021, the university transitioned classes into online delivery. This study explores the question: how do online Pacific…

Artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly transforms education, offering adaptive and personalized learning experiences. In English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education, AI-powered tools such as chatbots, writing assistants, and translation software reshape teaching and learning. This study explores how 67 prospective EFL teachers envision the future…

Utilizing the framework of the L2 motivational self-system as its theoretical foundation, this study focuses on a total of 52 students who discontinue their English learning within a senior high school in Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province. The primary objective of this study is to discern the underlying motivations prompting students to discontinue their…

The purpose of this paper is to describe and reflect on the position of what are called second additional languages in the language teaching landscape of South African schools. This landscape is crowded, with different South African languages vying for attention. Amidst efforts to increase the number of learners who offer an African language as…

This study aimed to answer an ongoing validity question related to the use of nonstandard English accents in international tests of English proficiency and associated issues of test fairness. More specifically, we examined (1) the extent to which different or shared English accents had an impact on listeners' performances on the Duolingo listening…

The aim of this study is to examine the development of self-regulated learning (SRL) of university students in an EFL course via Flipped classroom through a novel measurement roadmap. Microanalytic techniques were used throughout the process rather than students' perceptions at a given moment. SRL skills scores are reported as well as sample…

To explore the washback of the HSK on students learning Chinese as a Second Language (CSL), the study surveyed 1,616 SCL students from 25 different mother tongue backgrounds and interviewed international students studying in China through questionnaire and interview. The following was found in this study: (a) The HSK influenced both the process…

This study uses a mixed research method to examine the effects of a five-week intercultural competence (ICC) training program on 9th-grade high school students. Analysis of paired-sample ttests revealed a significant increase in overall ICC levels, particularly in the knowledge and consciousness dimensions, indicating the training's effectiveness.…

In many countries, children need to become proficient in both their home language (L1) and an international language, such as English (L2). Governments face tradeoffs in how to prioritize these two objectives. We provide empirical evidence on cross-linguistic transfer between L1 and L2, using the results of two randomized evaluations of Structured…

This article comprises two international studies. Study 1 aimed to develop a scale to measure the frequency of learners' voluntary, informal, out-of-school engagement with English, so-called Extramural English (EE) activities. It involved three stages -- pilot study, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis -- followed by…