TESL/TEFL

The literature on using scoring rubrics in writing assessment denotes the significance of rubrics as practical and useful means to assess the quality of writing tasks. This study tries to investigate the agreement among rubrics endorsed and used for assessing the essay writing tasks by the internationally recognized tests of English language proficiency. To carry out this study, two hundred essays (task 2) from the academic IELTS test were randomly selected from about 800 essays from an official IELTS center, a representative of IDP Australia, which was taken between 2015 and 2016. The test takers were 19 to 42 years of age, 120 of them were female and 80 were males. Three raters were provided with four sets of rubrics used for scoring the essay writing task of tests developed by Educational Testing Service (ETS) and Cambridge English Language Assessment (i.e., Independent TOELF iBT, GRE, CPE, and CAE) to score the essays which had been previously scored officially by a certified IELTS examiner. The data analysis through correlation and factor analysis showed a general agreement among raters and scores; however, some deviant scorings were spotted by two of the raters. Follow-up interviews and a questionnaire survey revealed that the source of score deviations could be related to the raters' interests and (un)familiarity with certain exams and their corresponding rubrics. Specifically, the results indicated that despite the significance which can be attached to rubrics in writing assessment, raters themselves can exceed them in terms of impact on scores.

This article considers how developing an understanding of the beliefs, values, norms, and ways of thinking and learning of students with limited or interrupted formal education (SLIFE) is central to effective instruction for this population. Because these students are different from other English language learners (ELLs), teachers must develop the ability to suspend judgment by building deep cultural knowledge of SLIFE. This can then inform curriculum and pedagogical practices that best support SLIFE in their transition and adaption to formal education. Following a review of culturally responsive teaching as outlined by Gay (2000; 2002; 2010), I continue with an examination of the Intercultural Communication Framework (DeCapua and Marshall, 2011; Marshall, 1994) intended to develop teachers' understanding of cultural factors inf luencing students' ways of thinking and learning. The article concludes with an exploration of a culturally responsive instructional model, the Mutually Adaptive Learning Paradigm (DeCapua and Marshall 2011; 2013), designed to better serve SLIFE.

Scholars who use English as an additional language confront challenges
when disseminating their research in the global market of knowledge production dominated by English. English for Research Publication Purposes analyses the experiences and practices of these scholars across the globe and presents “critical plurilingual pedagogies” as a theoretically and empirically informed means of supporting them. This book:
• Draws on an empirical study of a Latin American university’s effort
to mount a course that provides support to emerging and established
scholars who use English as an additional language;
• Brings theoretically informed discussions of critical pedagogies,
plurilingualism and identity affi rmation to better serve plurilingual
scholars who seek to publish their research in English- language journals;
• Provides examples of classroom activities that can be adapted and
adopted to local contexts and realities in a curriculum based on critical
plurilingual pedagogies;
• Proposes future directions for research into the internationally urgent,
growing concerns of global scholars who produce English- medium academic knowledge for the world stage.

Incisive and cutting- edge , English for Research Publication Purposes will bekey reading for academics and upper- level students working in the areas of ESP, EAP, ERPP and Applied Linguistics.

Karen Englander is an applied linguist with a focus on the policies, practices and pedagogies that affect plurilingual scholars seeking to publish their research in English. She is a former professor at the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Mexico, and York University in Toronto, Canada.

James N. Corcoran is an Assistant Professor of Applied Language and English Language Studies at Renison University College/ University of Waterloo. He has been an EAP/ ESP/ EFL teacher and teacher educator for the past 15 years.

The role of students’ first language(s) in foreign language classrooms has been hotly debated in the last decades. Although this line of research has advanced our understanding of language choice in the L2 classroom, it has mostly dealt with adolescent and adult learners. From a contextual perspective, then, more micro-analytic research that focuses on language choice at the primary school level is needed. Against this background, this paper presents a case study of a Danish third-grade English as a foreign language classroom, in which a pattern of divergent language choices has been observed: the teacher consistently uses English, whereas the learners almost exclusively speak Danish, which might entail trouble in maintaining intersubjectivity and a joint pedagogical focus. Using Conversation Analysis methodology, we found two sequential formats that help ensure student understanding and thus maintain intersubjectivity: (1) learner translations and reformulations for peer support in expansion sequences, and (2) expansions initiated by students requesting information or clarification that display partial or no understanding. We argue that the sense-making practices co-constructed in this classroom context are possible because the teacher encourages shared multilingual meaning-making practices. This research has implications for teaching EFL to young learners, and classroom language policies.

Metacognitive awareness has been shown to have a significant role in second or foreign language (L2) learning (Anderson, 2002; Ohata & Fukao, 2014; Öz, 2015). The present study investigated the role that metacognitive awareness plays in the enhancement of academic motivation among prospective English teachers in a Turkish context. A total of 104 students participated in the study. Data were collected using the Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI; Schraw & Dennison, 1994) and the Academic Motivation Scale (AMS; Vallerand et al., 1992). Findings showed a statistically significant relationship between metacognitive awareness and academic motivation. The analysis of moment structures (AMOS) and multiple squared correlations revealed that knowledge of cognition (KOC) and regulation of cognition (ROC) as the two major components of metacognitive awareness appeared as significant predictors of academic motivation, explaining 44% of the variance in the academic motivation of prospective English teachers. These findings underscore the importance of metacognitive awareness, and fostering construction of new knowledge, regulating and monitoring cognition would contribute to the creation of a supportive environment for promoting academic motivation among students, more specifically in teacher education programs. It is further concluded that metacognitive training can motivate students to improve their metacognitive knowledge and strategy use in learning an L2.

The present research investigated listening strategy utilization among 60 Iranian EFL senior high school learners. Furthermore, it tried to distinguish 1) the strategies utilized all the more frequently by learners, 2) the relationship between listening strategy utilization, and listening comprehension problems. In this study, problems included input, context, listener, process, affect, and task problems while the listening strategies comprised of cognitive, meta-cognitive, and socio-affective strategies. To gather the required information, a survey was dispersed among the members. After collecting the information and analyzing them through SPSS software, the outcomes uncovered that 'input' and 'affect' were two primary listening comprehension problems the students experienced. Results additionally showed that the principle listening strategy utilized by students was meta-cognitive strategy. The connection between listening problems and technique utilized among the students was measurably critical and negative. Results suggest that it is essential for second language educators to know about the distinctive listening problems to empower listeners to use the suitable techniques.

In this study, we examine the fundamental difference hypothesis in language motivation, which suggests that language learning-at the motivational level-is qualitatively different from learning other school subjects. Despite being a longstanding assumption, few investigations have directly examined it. Using a comparative cross-sectional approach, we adapted the L2 Motivational Self System and collected data from South Korean high school students (N = 644) related to their motivation to learn English (L2), Chinese (L3), and mathematics (a nonlanguage subject). Contrary to the fundamental difference hypothesis, the L2 Motivational Self System fit these three subjects well and did not reveal clear uniqueness pointing toward a qualitative difference in favor of language learning motivation. We use these findings to discuss the possibility of a more global and parsimonious learning motivation theory to accommodate multiple languages in addition to nonlanguage subjects. We also discuss the need for language learning researchers to reengage with other learning sciences.

This study sought to investigate the role of personality traits on metacognitive awareness among preservice English teachers in a Turkish context. A total of 102 students participated in the study. The International Personality Item Pool (IPIP; Goldberg, 2001) and the Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI; Schraw & Dennison, 1994) were used to measure the participants' perceptions of their personality traits and metacognitive awareness. Findings revealed a statistically significant relationship between personality traits and metacognitive awareness. The analysis of moment structures (AMOS) indicated that personality traits have a strong predictive power in determining metacognitive awareness among the participants, accounting for 29% of the variance in the knowledge of cognition (KOC) component and 28% of the variance in the regulation of cognition (ROC) component. The scrutiny of multiple squared correlations further revealed that openness to experience and extraversion emerged as the strongest predictors of academic motivation, respectively. These findings are interpreted to provide a better understanding of the importance of personality traits, especially the Big-Five personality traits, in students' impressions of their metacognitive awareness in learning a second or a foreign language (L2).

Prior research on pre-task planning examines its effects on the quality of second language (L2) learners' planned output. Planning mitigates the cognitive overload placed upon L2 learners' oral performance, thus improving language production. Despite the pedagogical benefits, studies on pre-task planning on L2 learners' oral output are conducted mostly in a lab or class setting. Whether or not similar effects of pre-task planning can be evidenced in three-dimensional (3D) multiuser virtual environments (MUVEs), such as Second Life (SL), is still less explored. Hence, this study investigates whether pre-task planning could enhance the quality and quantity of English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' task-oriented, voice-based outcomes in SL. Nine EFL learners worldwide participated in this 10-session virtual class. Data were collected through students' oral presentations in performing real-life simulated tasks related to their home cultures and interests. Yuan and Ellis's (2003) framework of T-units measures was adopted to analyze their linguistic performance measured by complexity and accuracy. Results indicated that EFL learners showed statistically significant improvement on grammatical complexity on the levels of syntactic complexity and variety (but not on lexical variety) and on linguistic accuracy across all measured levels (error-free clauses/T-units/verb forms). It is suggested that pre-task planning can be seeded in task-based instruction either in a classroom-based or 3D MUVE setting to optimize the quality of learners' linguistic performance. Tasks that are real-world oriented and targeting learners' cultural repertoires and world knowledge also positively impact their virtual learning experiences. These significant implications add new research and pedagogical dimensions to the field of computer-assisted language learning.

The aim of the present study is twofold. First, it tests a model of willingness to read (WTR) based on L2 motivation and communication confidence (communication anxiety and perceived communicative competence). Second, it applies the recent theory of L2 motivation proposed by Dörnyei (2005; 2009), L2 motivational self system (ideal L2 self, ought-to L2 self, and L2 learning experience), in willingness to communicate and WTR construct. For this purpose, one-hundred eighty Iranian university students who were taking general English courses completed the survey questionnaire. Structural equation modeling was utilized to analyze the proposed model of WTR. Results of the analysis indicated that L2 learning experience, ideal L2 self, and communication confidence positively and significantly predicted WTR, and L2 learning experience was the strongest predictor of WTR. Moreover, among the three measures of L2 motivational self system, ideal L2 self was the strongest positive predictor of communication confidence, and ought-to L2 self contributed to communication confidence negatively. The results suggest that L2 motivational self system framework can adequately account for willingness to communicate. Also, in contrast to previous studies, it has a higher explanatory power than communication confidence in predicting L2 WTR.

The analysis of advising sessions has recognized common standards of the profession
in areas such as advising skills employed and non-verbal communicative
practices. There are however numerous variations in advisor behavior due to
differences in cognitive processes. This study used a stimulated recall approach
to identify the content of inner thought categories of eight learning advisors-inaction
during individual advising sessions. A grounded theory analysis of 800
thought units revealed a hierarchical structure of five main and 16 sub-categories.
By tapping into the cognitive processes of advisors, a descriptive framework of
advisors’ inner speech was created and a more complete picture of advising
emerged. This led to an appreciation of the wealth of information advisors held
and applied during their sessions and provided empirical evidence which could
possibly influence changes in the current method of advisor training.

This study uses a novel approach to describe modern English academic texts in terms of the amount and distribution of syntactic subordination, coordination and phrasal structures. Inconsistent results have been reported in previous scholarship regarding the trajectory of syntactic complexification based on English language backgrounds and linguistic proficiency of writers. For the first time, a combination of two predictive statistical modelling methods of mixed-effects modelling and supervised machine learning modelling with random forest is used to examine the extent to which the type, amount, and distribution of these syntactic structures can be attributed to a text-intrinsic feature (sub-genres or rhetorical sections of academic register) and a text-extrinsic factor (English language background based on academic context) in a corpus of master's dissertations. To revisit the theories of English L1 vs. L2 texts, strong predictors of syntactic complexity across academic writings of EFL, ESL, and English L1 postgraduate students were identified. The findings show that EFL texts are dominantly subordinate in nature, English L1's dominantly phrasal, and the ESL dissertations exhibited similar amounts of subordination and phrasal structures. Distinct syntactic structures also characterise rhetorical sections: abstracts are predominantly phrasal, literature reviews distinctly subordinate, and conclusion sections have noticeable amounts of verb phrases.

The present study aimed at testing a model of intercultural willingness to communicate based on ethnocentrism, ambiguity tolerance, and sensation seeking between English and non-English major university students in Iran. A significant difference was found between the two groups on ethnocentrism and the results showed that the model fit the data adequately. Ethnocentrism was the strongest predictor of intercultural willingness to communicate for both groups. Sensation seeking was a significant predictor of intercultural willingness to communicate only for the non-English major university students. Moreover, sensation seeking and ambiguity tolerance were significant predictors of ethnocentrism.

While translation has recently had a comeback in language pedagogy, its applicability in classrooms with students from diverse linguistic backgrounds has been underexplored. In countries with increasing immigration and high intakes of international students, which is the case of Canada, language classrooms are intrinsically multilingual. This multilingual reality provides unique opportunities for students to use their linguistic repertoire while learning English-one of Canada's official languages-, but teachers may be hesitant to use translation as a pedagogical tool if they do not speak the languages of their students. This paper reports on the results of a qualitative study with three teachers and 40 adult learners of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) in a Canadian university. All of the student participants had at least two languages in their repertoire, and 90% reported being plurilingual, that is, using several languages with varying levels of proficiency. With the exception of English, the language of instruction , the teachers did not share any of the languages spoken by the students. The study explored how the teachers used translation to engage students' plurilingual repertoires and investigated students' perceptions of translation practices. Data was gathered through student diaries and classroom observations. Results of deductive analyses show that translation, when used within a plurilingual approach, was helpful for making sense of English vocabulary. Moreover, students reported that translation across languages enhanced conceptual knowledge. The paper argues that translation as a process rather than an L2-L1 textual product can advance language learning in multilingual classes.

The purpose of the present study was to explore English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teacher's motivations for teaching and testing a model of burnout based on motivations and emotions using structural equation modeling (SEM). For this purpose, a total number of 326 Iranian EFL teachers in different language institutes completed the related scales. Results of the study showed that altruistic and intrinsic factors are the main motivations of EFL teachers. Results of SEM indicated that both motivations and emotions predicted different dimensions of burnout. However, emotions had a stronger effect on burnout dimensions than motivational factors. Finally, the pedagogical implications were discussed based on the results of the study.

Writing is a great challenge whether performed in the mother tongue or in a second or foreign language (L2/FL).
Studies in L2 writing show that writing is a complex cognitive activity comprising a number of processes which
includes the use of various strategies. This study aimed to examine strategies used in essay writing among 50
high-intermediate and low proficiency ESL upper secondary school students and to determine any significant
differences in strategy use between the two groups. Data from the Writing Strategy Questionnaire indicate that
the ESL students were moderate writing strategies users. The while-writing strategies were most frequently used
whereas the revising strategies were least used. All students displayed approximately similar frequency use of
strategies. They differed only in the type of strategies used. An implication of the study is that students need to
be encouraged to use various strategies in improving their writing. Strategy training for ESL students is
important to help them write successfully in the target language.
Keywords: writing strategies, ESL students, proficiency levels

This paper reports on an SFL-based writing intervention in a university global histories course and examines differences in developmental trajectories among students after the intervention. Based on our previous research on writing in this course, we developed three Systemic Functional Linguistics-based workshops to explicitly teach valued linguistic resources necessary for meeting the expectations of writing historical arguments. We examine how student writing developed among nine focal students both quantitatively and qualitatively using an SFL-based rubric that we developed for the purposes of this study. We focus closely on two students, a novice and an experienced writer of academic English, by providing a detailed analysis of how they progressed differently towards incorporating the targeted linguistic resources. Our analysis suggests that explicit disciplinary writing instruction can help close the gap between novice and experienced academic writers; however, experienced writers also showed gains. Given the limited research on how intervention studies affect writing, particularly at the university level, this study can help teachers and researchers respond to the needs of the increasingly linguistically diverse students in higher education.

Teaching materials developed in-house are commonly used in EAP courses; however, research on their linguistic content, which can have important pedagogical implications, is scarce. This study examines the occurrence and repetition of general academic vocabulary, operationalised as the Academic Vocabulary List (AVL) (Gardner & Davies, 2014), in the printed teaching materials developed in-house and used in a presessional EAP course at a UK university. The course was divided into three modules and taught over five weeks. At the end of each week, teachers provided us with photocopies of the printed teaching materials they had used. A corpus was compiled from the printed materials of each module. The results show that 846 AVL lemmas (i.e., 28.07% of the lemmas in the AVL) appeared in the materials. They were not equally distributed among the three modules and only 90 AVL lemmas overlapped across modules. The results also show that the average repetition rate of AVL lemmas in the materials was unlikely to lead to the incidental development of recall knowledge from exposure to these materials alone. Recommendations are made for the development of in-house EAP materials and teaching activities that increase students' exposure to academic vocabulary and facilitate its learning.

The linguistic, social, and intercultural benefits of overseas experiences for English as a foreign language (EFL) learners continue to gain attention as the significance of English as a lingua franca proliferates. As the use of English for international communication increases, it is important to examine such interactions from multiple viewpoints. While previous studies have investigated various aspects of study abroad for EFL learners, the perspectives of target community members (TCMs) have often been overlooked. Therefore, this study investigated differences in EFL teacher and nonteacher TCM perceptions of five Japanese university study abroad students' spoken pragmatic output. Students completed 10 oral discourse completion tasks before and after their one-semester study abroad. The EFL teacher and nonteacher TCM groups watched videos of and rated each task for formality and appropriateness. Findings showed the two groups perceived gains related to student speech and development. However, teachers rated on the pre-departure tasks lower but the post-tasks higher, while the TCMs did not identify as much improvement. Implications for students, teachers, and receiving communities are discussed.

This volume demystifies the procedures and practical uses of Grounded Theory, a well-established research methodology used around the world today by social scientists, teachers, and qualitative researchers. Intended for graduate students, supervisors, and researchers, it provides readers with the tools for understanding, justifying, and disseminating new theoretical insights for the Applied Linguistics community and beyond.

The motivation will drive the EFL learners to be successful in reading. This study examined the Indonesian EFL learners' motivation in reading activity based on Deci & Ryans' theory of motivation including intrinsic and extrinsic. This study employed mixed-method design. The data obtained by distributing questionnaire and arranging the group interviewed. The subject of the study involved 42 freshmen students of English department, the faculty of humanities at Jember University in the academic year 2015-2016. The results found that both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations have significant contribution in motivating the learners to read the English text. The intrinsic motivation played the important role in students' reading activities. Besides, the extrinsic motivation found the teacher's role as the learners' motivator in reading the English text through their method implemented in the reading class.

Classroom humor is still a subject of spirited debate in (formal) language settings. While some language teachers frown upon humor as a distraction from the serious business of learning and teaching, it is regarded as an insightful phenomenon, conducive to pedagogical benefits, by some others. In light of the relevant literature, this article initially conceptualizes humor in the language classroom. Then, under the purview of several common TESOL paradigms, the use of humor in language contexts is justified and its beneficial effects are elaborated on. The paper elucidates how focus on form and fun can coincide during class interaction, offering valuable opportunities for language acquisition. Finally considering the double-edged nature of humor, the paper warns against the practical pitfalls and puts forth guidelines for successful implementation of classroom humor. In doing so, special attention is paid to issues such as teachers’ concerns, learners’ sociocultural and individual differences, and humor linguistic demands.

This paper reports on findings of an investigation that explored the role of academic motivation in predicting the academic performance of pre-service English teachers. Participants were 98 university students enrolled in an English teacher education program at a state university. Data were gathered using the Academic Motivation Scale and self-reported measure of their cumulative grade point average. Findings revealed a statistically significant relationship between academic motivation and academic achievement. Further, academic motivation significantly contributed to predicting participants’ academic achievement, with stimulus subcomponent being the strongest predictor variable. Intrinsic motivation had more predicative power than extrinsically oriented regulations. Findings underscore the importance of intrinsic and extrinsic dimensions of academic motivation in university students’ achievement, supporting the contention that pre-service teachers’ behavior can be intrinsically and extrinsically motivated or even amotivated. These findings are interpreted within the context of English teacher education programs to promote pre-service English teachers’ motivation and achievement.

This study tried to find out whether or not teaching techniques of critical thinking through writing to the Iranian English students at university level can lead them develop writing argumentative essays. We received the help of 63 university students in two classes at Islamic Azad University, with the average age of 21 whose major were translation. Those falling within two SD above and below the mean on TOEFL were chosen. Participants were asked to write two five-paragraph argumentative essays; one at the beginning of the term, and the other one after 6 sessions. Since the second session, for about four sessions and each session 30 minutes, the experimental group was received a treatment. Participants' papers were scored based on Unrau's scoring guide by two English teachers. T-tests were used to check the differences between experimental and control groups. This study's implication is that techniques of critical thinking can help the students to become critical thinkers because the improvement was positive, yet it cannot help them to write more argumentative essays, for the fact that the improvement was not significant.

This study aimed at exploring the effect of Edmodo use on developing Saudi English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students' Self-Directed Learning (SDL). It employed a quasi-experimental design that included a one group design. The participants (n = 45) were all fifth level students at Languages and Translation Department, Arar Faculty of Education and Arts, Northern Border University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. They were pre-tested before the treatment by using the pre Personal Responsibility Orientation to Self-Direction in Learning Scale (PRO-SDLS). They were post-tested after the treatment by using the post PRO-SDLS. The researcher taught the participants during the treatment which based on allowing them to use Edmodo in carrying out a project. The results revealed that a statistically significant difference in the participants' SDL between the pre PRO-SDLS and the post PRO-SDLS in favor of the post PRO-SDLS. Hence, it can be concluded that Edmodo helped the participants develop their SDL on the post PRO-SDLS. Some recommendations and suggestions for further research were included.

—Vocabulary is a key element of students' understanding and communicative ability in any language. However Saudi students of English are observed to face many difficulties with vocabulary, which have been attributed to the widespread use of traditional methods focusing on memorization and rote learning. Role-play potentially offers an enjoyable way to encourage students to use vocabulary appropriately in simulated authentic situations. In a quasi-experimental study in a girls' secondary school in Al-Madinah, pre and post-test comparisons were made of vocabulary test achievement between two first year classes. One (experimented) taught two units of their English course book through role play, the other (control) taught by traditional methods. T –test revealed no significant difference in vocabulary proficiency in the pre-test; however, in the post-test, the mean score of the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control. The evidence supports the beneficial effect of incorporating role-play in EFL teaching.

Zambia is a landlocked country in south central Africa. While its only official language is English, seven other languages are recognized as national languages. In addition, many other local languages are used. In education, however, not all Zambian languages are taught as subjects or used as mediums of instruction. This paper reviews the history of languages and their use in the educational system in Zambia. After considering what was done in the past, the current policies are examined. Finally, a Game Theory analysis is used to predict what kind of language of education policy would be most agreed upon in contemporary Zambia.

This study aims at analyzing the writing anxiety of English students of STAIN Kediri. Writing anxiety is one of anxiety that occurs in foreign language anxiety. It is a fear of writing when a person has to start, work on, or finish a given writing task. By conducting a qualitative research, this study described the levels, dominant type, and main factors of writing anxiety of the English students. Fifty English students at the fourth semester joined in this study. Two closed-ended questionnaires, Second Language Writing Anxiety Inventory (SLWAI) proposed by Cheng, and Causes of Writing Anxiety Inventory (CWAI) proposed by Rezaei and Jafari were employed to collect the data. The findings revealed that there were 27 students (54%) who experienced high level of writing anxiety, 22 students (44%) who experienced moderate level of writing anxiety, and only 1 student (2%) who experienced low level of writing anxiety. The dominant type of writing anxiety was cognitive writing anxiety, which is based on the highest mean among two other types of writing anxiety. Then there are four main factors that cause writing anxiety. They are linguistic difficulties, fear of teachers’ negative comments, insufficient writing practice, and time pressure.

Teacher self-efficacy has been identified as an important characteristic of teachers that can positively influence both teacher and student outcomes. The relationship between teachers' self-efficacy and their linguistic proficiency, however, is yet to be investigated. The present study was an attempt to examine the rather under-researched issue of teachers' level of linguistic competence in their efficacy perceptions. For this purpose, 50 teachers from different universities in Iran with varying demographic characteristics took part in the study. Respondents were asked to provide answers to the Teacher Efficacy Scale (TES) and the perceived linguistic proficiency self-rating. The results of statistical analysis using Spearman correlation and Regression analysis demonstrated a significant relationship between teachers' self-efficacy and their level of proficiency. The results of regression, too, confirmed the predictability of the level of the proficiency of the self-efficacy beliefs of teachers in their classroom practices. The findings are discussed in relation to previous research and implications are provided for future investigations.

Meta-analyses of research show that notetaking enhances listening, active learning, and recall (e.g., Kobayashi, 2006). Unsurprisingly, taking notes leads to better performance than not taking notes (e.g., Fischer & Harris, 1973). However, the notion of what constitutes " good " notes remains unclear, particularly from the perspective of EAP teachers. Various methods for evaluating the quality of student notes have been proposed by teachers and researchers, including total notations, content words, information units, and test answerability (e.g., Crawford, 2015; Dunkel, 1988). Some teachers also give grades for student notes, and focus on aspects such as legibility and organization. This paper considers the benefits and drawbacks of several methods for evaluating notes. It then promotes the notion of " information unit " (IU) as arguably the most relevant method for teaching EAP. The paper illustrates how notes can be evaluated through IU analysis using excerpts from a TED Talk and samples of an EAP student's notes. Other methods are also applied to the note samples in order to demonstrate that IU analysis is a more useful measure of lecture comprehension. This analysis also describes why certain entries in student notes may or may not qualify as IUs, thereby illustrating the concept in practice.

This paper reports on a study that explored five student-teachers' beliefs regarding the usability of three digital flashcard websites that can be used in a blended learning approach in English Language Teaching (ELT) classrooms. These student-teachers, who had previous teaching experience, were students on a year-long Master of Arts (MA) programme at Coventry University. Adopting a mixed-method research design, this study incorporated aspects of both surveys and case studies to explore different variables that could have an effect on the use of digital flashcards in blended learning classrooms. The websites' design features appeared to create two extreme reactions in student-teachers, suggesting it might be a significant factor in shaping their beliefs.

This paper examines the widespread contention that, as a result of their cultural and educational backgrounds, students from Asia lack the critical thinking skills required when they study abroad at Western universities. It scrutinises this view from two perspectives. First, it problematises the use of Asia as a monolithic entity, arguing that the stereotyping of Asian students as uncritical is an act of Othering that fails to recognise the cultural and social diversity of such a large group of people. Second, it looks at studies of the critical thinking skills of Asian students to determine whether there is empirical evidence that they do indeed lack these fundamental cognitive abilities. From a comprehensive review of the literature, it finds that most of the specific skills and dispositions included within the umbrella of critical thinking can be found in equal or greater measure in the traditions, cultures and education systems of many Asian countries. Much of the supposed paucity of critical thinking amongst international Asian students can be explained by the fact that they are carrying out their studies in a foreign language, which has been shown to have a significantly negative impact on academic performance.

This study was aimed at analyzing the similarities and differences between English and Indonesian essays made by EFL undergraduate students. The problems rise from the transfer of first language (L1) cultural conventions to second language (L2) performance. Three rhetorical aspects: general patterns of thought (linear or non-linear), development of ideas, and coherence were compared and analyzed by using content analysis. The results of the analysis showed that EFL students devoted similar rhetoric features in writing English and Indonesian essays. The rhetoric similarity was shared in the use of linearity and non-linearity of ideas, the development of ideas in the whole essays as well as the coherence quality.

Note taking in EFL classrooms has been gaining attention in recent years, likely due to growing numbers of EFL students who attend lectures given in English and the importance of note taking during language proficiency tests. While textbooks and materials for note taking practice are readily available, classroom techniques for teaching EFL note taking abilities are far less abundant. To address this gap in EFL pedagogy, this study investigated a scaffolded, step-by-step instructional cycle for EFL note taking, beginning with decisions about what, when and how to record information in conjunction with a formal outline format during lecture listening. Intermediate level Japanese university EFL learners (n=87) completed pre- and post-instruction note taking tasks and a questionnaire related to the instruction. Findings showed that learners recorded more information units and adopted a more visually-accessible note taking format following the instruction. Moreover, they viewed the pedagogical cycle as practical and beneficial.

News reports are regarded as a reflection of world reality. People around the world are watching the news reports to get the first aid information about incidents or events they need. Hence, languages in the news reports are, of course, considered neutral, impartial, and unbiased. Thus, this paper attempts to provide a critical discourse analysis CDA of a news report in its online version taken from the Guardian newspaper regarding the mass shooting of the Muslims in Christchurch, New Zealand. In this respect, Halliday's systematic functional grammar is employed to explore the linguistic features along with two CDA's tools (nominalization and passivization). Moreover, the researcher used these different tools of discourse analysis to unfold the use of biased language in this news report. For achieving this goal, the paper attempts to define some theoretical background of the CDA approach with its tools initially. Afterward, there is an interpretation and discussion of the analysis which is adopted based on CDA tools. However, the result of the analysis unfolded that Guardian news reports concerning the two Mosques shooting in Christchurch, New Zealand were not remained unbiased in reporting such sensitive issues. The implication for the journalists is to keep always their impartiality in advance while reporting any incidents or events.