Adoption of Online Technologies for Language Teaching during COVID-19 Pandemic in Narrative Frames

Adopting and utilizing online technologies for emergency remote teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic is a requirement for most Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Indonesia in order to keep the pedagogical practice running. Having done the practice for about one year, it is paramount to have an understanding of teachers’ experience in their adoption of the technologies. Arguably, there has been zero study employing narrative frames conducted in Indonesia investigating EFL (English as a foreign language) university teachers’ experience in adopting online technologies for their teaching during the pandemic. Therefore, the present narrative study examines this issue. Four narrative frames were developed as the instruments of the study by referring to two core variables and one outcome variable of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) consisting of perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and reported general use of online technologies. 16 narrative frames completed by participants from seven universities in East and West Java unveil that despite the arduous initial process of shifting from face-to-face into online teaching, problems and difficulties which were still encountered during the pedagogical undertaking, and somewhat limited number of online platforms that had been utilized, the teachers’ very positive perceptions on the usefulness of online technologies led to persistence and optimism in their reported general use of the technologies in their teaching. It was concluded that teachers are quite ready to further implement online technologies in their teaching. However, supporting facilities, facilitating conditions, as well as training for developing technological knowledge and skills are needed to support the process

Malay proverbs in inquisitive Semantics approach lens: The case of Malaysian textbooks

With reference to the Malay Language Secondary School Standard Curriculum, proverbs in Malaysian contexts are one of the language aspects that students needs to use integrated in the language teaching. This research identified proverbs in the Malaysian secondary school textbooks analyzed using inquisitive semantic approach.  The proverbs data were obtained Form 4 and Form 5 Malay Language textbooks, from Ministry of Education Malaysia. Nine pieces of data were identified using the inquisitive semantics study framework involving three stages; surface meaning analysis, the semantics resonance analysis involving speaker’s cognitive by applying the Cross-reference Framework (Kempson, 1986) in the Relevance Theory (Sperber Wilson, 2986; 1995), and the meaning analysis using the inquisitive semantics approach (Jalaluddin, 2014). The study indicated the proverb meaning analysis starting from the knowledge of the meaning from the dictionary, followed by the meaning of the proverbs in the context of sentences, and the exploration into the philosophy and common sense underlying the formation of the proverbs. The study proposed that the textbooks stimulated students’ higher-order thinking skills with the inquiry method to create new discovery and knowledge. In conclusion, the textbooks offered teachers the proverbs analyzed by the inquisitive semantics approach as a teaching approach such to make the process of learning language in their classrooms more meaningful

The off-Record Politeness Strategy and Cultural Values of the Belis Negotiation Speech Event: A Sociopragmatic Study

This study aims to find out the language politeness strategies applied by the tongka (spokesperson) and other parties involved in the belis negotiation speech event in the Manggarai community, the Pasat-Ruis dialect, Indonesia. This study used a phenomenological approach. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with five key informants with experience as spokespersons (tongka) and adequate knowledge of the Manggarai language and culture. Data were analyzed using the interactive model proposed by Miles and Haberman (1992). The study found that the off-record politeness strategy was applied in two patterns; (1) The use of metaphorical phrases to refine the speech. Knowledge and the ability to interpret the meaning of speech through metaphorical phrases is an important aspect that must be possessed by a tongka (spokesperson) by connecting the phrase with the context of its use so that it can be understood and fulfills the elements of Politeness. (2) The use of sopi while conveying speech. The patterns show Politeness and the distinctive and authentic characteristics of Manggarai culture. Meanwhile, the cultural values of the utterances of belis negotiations include kinship, brotherhood, responsibility, appreciation, and respect. Thus, the findings indicate that the spokespersons selected in the belis negotiation process need to consider the knowledge of Manggarai culture and the ability to use metaphorical phrases in cultural speech so that the belisnegotiation process runs smoothly according to the expectations of the two extended families

Native English teachers’ beliefs and practices in teaching oral communication: A multiple case study in China

Although previous studies in the education field have investigated how teachers’ beliefs and practices converge or diverge, native English teachers’ (NETs) beliefs and practices remain underrepresented and underexplored, particularly with respect to university-level English speaking instruction in the Chinese context. This qualitative study used interviews and classroom observations over one semester to examine the pedagogical beliefs and actual classroom practices of three NETs instructing a course in oral communication with English as a foreign language (EFL). Based on the data analysis, this multiple case study found that the three native EFL teachers’ practices converged with their beliefs related to language, teaching, and teachers’ roles. However, divergences existed in terms of teaching and student learning. Teachers’ personal, learner-related, and contextual factors modified teachers’ practices and affected their decisions in putting their beliefs into practice. The results imply that it is essential for NETs to engage in critical reflection and enhance their professional agency, which helps them make appropriate classroom decisions to achieve resonance between their beliefs and practices. University administrators in the Chinese context may consider creating a more conducive environment for teacher training, increasing NETs’ sense of belonging, and further facilitating teachers’ professional development

Reading engagement of Indonesian secondary EFL teachers as literacy indicators perceived over reading resources and pleasure reading

Nurturing students to become engaged readers for literacy development may need teachers who can play roles as models of keen readers. This descriptive quantitative study aims to profile the reading engagement of Indonesian EFL teachers as perceived from reading resources and pleasure reading. This study employed a survey questionnaire, requesting the respondents to reflect on their personal and school reading collection and their habits in reading for pleasure. Through a convenience sampling technique, voluntary responses were received from 183 secondary EFL teachers, mostly from East Java Province. The data were descriptively tabulated to result in frequencies and percentages. Research tool SPSS ver.24 was used to analyze the raw data for means, correlations, and compared means. Overall, this study found that reading engagement among secondary EFL teachers reflects moderately positive directions. The statistical analyses demonstrate that possessing personal reading resources may result in a slightly significant impact in assuring EFL teachers to read for pleasure yet better than having school reading resources. It has also been proven that both types of reading resources are weakly, yet significantly, correlated with reading for pleasure. This means that the more EFL teachers have access to reading resources, the more they will read and indirectly improve themselves. Future research may uncover the implications of having teachers engaged in reading on the design of more responsive reading instruction for the development of literacy culture at schools

Linguistic diversity and communication dynamics an in-depth study of Phatic expressions in Bima

Phatic expressions serve a vital role in daily communication, fostering the strengthening of social bonds and the maintenance of interpersonal relationships among conversational participants. Despite their significance, a comprehensive investigation into phatic expressions in regional Indonesian languages remains notably lacking. To address this research gap, our study delves into the diverse forms and functions of phatic expression within the Bima language (BL). Employing a qualitative approach with a descriptive research design, conversational interviews were conducted involving five participants, leading to the identification of fourteen distinct phatic utterances in BL. These expressions encompassed -ra, -na, -ku, -pu, rau, ke, ka, kan, rauja, oe, ha, ah, sih, and poda. Findings reveal that these phatic expressions serve a multitude of functions, encompassing affirmation, validation, explanation, expressions of surprise, conveying irritation, signaling uncertainty, emphasizing intensity, and issuing commands. Notably, the category of phatic expressions for affirmation exhibited the greatest diversity, featuring six distinct expressions. From a linguistic perspective, the use of this rich array of phatic expressions plays a pivotal role in maintaining seamless communication among speakers, contributing significantly to the fluidity of conversation. This study carries important pedagogical implications for language educators, particularly in Indonesia and regions where BL is spoken. Educators can enhance their students' linguistic repertoire, particularly in the context of the Bima language. Furthermore, by shedding light on the intricacies of phatic expression in BL, this research contributes to a broader exploration of language diversity and its sociolinguistic significance, further strengthening the documentation and preservation of regional languages

Implementing ICARE training model to enhance Indonesian students’ emceeing skills: Its process and impact

Having a good command of public speaking skills has been considered a pivotal modal for students to gain academic achievement and professional success. Practicing to be a master of ceremony can be a means of elevating public speaking skills. However, mastering the emceeing skills is not an easy task since it requires the students’ competencies to make use of linguistic and non-linguistic resources. The purpose of this study is to elucidate the results of the implementation of the ICARE model (Introduction, Connection, Application, Reflection, and Extension) to enhance students’ linguistic- and non-linguistic-related emceeing skills. This research employed a quantitative and qualitative approaches, using an observation sheet, interview protocol, and pre and posttest. The results showed that the training activities focused on establishing a group collaboration and promoted confidence in linguistic and non-linguistic mastery. The observation results revealed that the application of the ICARE model was considered helpful since it could facilitate teaching and learning activities in a more contextual way, with active, creative, and fun characteristics (joyful learning) and obtained a positive response from the students. They could relate it to everyday life. The statistical results of the pre and posttest scores demonstrated the effectiveness of the ICARE model in enhancing the students’ language and non-language-related emceeing skills. The results affirm the importance of mastering linguistic and non-linguistic elements that contribute to increased public speaking skills

The relationships between reading mindsets, reading engagement, and reading comprehension performance in the Saudi EFL context

This study determines the relationship between reading mindsets and reading comprehension performance with the use of reading engagement as a mediating variable. It drew on Dweck’s (1999) mindset theory and employed a correlational research design to collect data from 567 EFL undergraduate students majoring in English in three public universities in Saudi Arabia. The data collection was conducted by distributing two questionnaires and administering a reading comprehension test. The collected data were analyzed using a two-phase structural equation modeling approach (i.e., measurement and structural models). The results indicated that there was a significant correlation between a growth reading mindset and reading engagement. Nevertheless, a significant yet negative correlation was revealed between a fixed reading mindset and reading engagement. Moreover, there was a significant and positive correlation between reading engagement and reading comprehension performance. Lastly, the findings showed that reading engagement served as a mediating variable in determining the correlation between reading mindsets and reading comprehension performance. The relevance of the current study stems from the dearth of research on reading mindsets. Also, previous studies have not focused on exploring the correlation between mindsets and performance in the EFL context. Therefore, the current study is expected to benefit EFL readers, instructors, and policymakers. 

Production and perception of English consonants by Yemeni EFL learners

Previous studies on the perception-production correlation focused mainly on transcriptions and native English speaker evaluations for production accuracy assessments; only a few included acoustic measurements. This study aims to investigate the production and perception of six English consonants by Yemeni EFL learners of English using an acoustic measurement of second-language production. It has three objectives: (1) To investigate the extent to which word position influences the accuracy of Yemeni EFL learners’ production of the target consonants, (2) to assess the extent to which word position affects their perception, and (3) to investigate the relationship between the overall production and perception of the investigated sounds. A quantitative research method was employed for collecting data from six Yemeni EFL postgraduate students from Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM). In the production tasks, the researchers asked the speakers to produce seventy-two words with the target consonants three times in isolation (Experiment 1) and the other three times in a carrier sentence (Experiment 2). The researchers recorded the speakers’ productions with an iPhone and later evaluated them acoustically via Praat. In the perception test, an AXB experiment was conducted. The findings showed that word position significantly affected the production, yet not the perception of the target sounds. Moreover, an insignificant positive moderate correlation was revealed between the overall production and perception of the target consonants. The findings have implications for second-language speech as well as pronunciation instruction. Teachers may put more focus on specific sound environments that lead learners to struggle while producing/perceiving particular English sounds

Investigating the relationship between the English instruction time decrease and English learning achievements

This study examines the link between an English instructional time decrease on English learning achievements by reviewing the students’ trends of English learning achievement scores from 2011 to 2017 and conducting a survey concerning the decline in their instructional time. A mixed-method approach was used to meet the objective of the research. For quantitative data, the Likert-scale questionnaire was collected from 474 senior high school English teachers all over Indonesia, and the achievement data consisted of 211,086 summative scores of senior high school students from semesters 1 to 5. For qualitative data, the respondents filled in open-ended questions unveiling their viewpoints on instructional time decrease. The result between the correlation analysis and the teacher’s open-ended question seems inconsistent. Even though the statistical analysis does not indicate any direct relationship between instructional time decrease and students’ achievement where both summative and proficiency scores keep increasing during the period observed, from the teachers’ perspective, questionnaire data reported a significant tendency for the reduction in instructional time on learning achievement. Further analysis shows that in terms of students’ learning achievement and proficiency, instructional time decrease cannot be stated as a factor that directly influences students’ learning. However, from the teachers’ perspective, the reduction is believed to influence their students’ achievement and classroom management