Exploring the Impacts of the Covid-19 Pandemic on English Language Teachers

This study aims to assess how Indonesian Islamic higher education, specifically English language teachers, have been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. The researcher conducted semi-structured interviews to investigate the impacts of Covid-19 on English language teachers. Data were collected from ten participants, and thematic analysis techniques were used to analyze the data, including data familiarization, generating codes, grouping codes, generating themes, and finalizing findings. The study reveals that the pandemic has significantly impacted education, particularly English language teaching. It has led to a loss of interactive classroom experiences and obstacles to language acquisition. However, participants have benefited from increased accessibility to international seminars, workshops, and conferences. It has removed geographical and financial barriers, allowing participants to attend events at no cost and providing valuable educational advantages. Future research could benefit from larger-scale participation. In that case, a better understanding of the impact of valuable educational advantages gained from international events amidst Covid-19 on teachers’ teaching performances in the post-pandemic needs to be developed

Exploring EFL Pre-Service Teachers’ Critical Incidents in Microteaching Practicum

This paper analyzes pre-service teachers’ critical incidents as reflected in their e-portfolios during their teaching simulation in the microteaching course. Three cycles of teaching practice were scheduled for each student-teacher. Thirty-six student-teacher critical incidents and e-portfolios were analyzed. Data were collected mainly from their e-portfolios containing their critical incidents. In addition, observations and focus group discussions were conducted to triangulate and confirm the students’ critical incidents. Results showed that of the total 130 critical incidents, 60 occurred in their first, 38 in their second, and 34 in their third teaching cycle. It indicates that the pre-service teachers struggle more at the beginning of their teaching practicum, go through the learning process, and develop their understanding of teaching. In addition, the student-teachers are empowered by obtaining the ability to sense the theoretical and practical gaps in teaching, indicate teaching problems and complexity, become aware of the challenging classroom management issues, and future professional development. This study highlights the importance of reflective practices such as critical incident analyses to be induced in teacher training programs. Through critical incident identification, pre-service teachers are trained to develop their reflection-on-action skills, pedagogical awareness, and choices and sharpen their sense of teaching problems, particularly when encountering theory-practice gaps

Examining Students’ Perceptions of Indonesian High School Students on the Use of TikTok in Learning English

With the availability of mobile devices and Web 2.0 technologies, various networking apps have become essential to English language learning (ELL). TikTok, a global app similar to YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Twitter, is becoming increasingly popular. TikTok is a video-sharing app that allows users to produce and share content while discovering material from other users. TikTok has yet to be thoroughly researched for educational purposes. However, some research suggests that social media can help language learners. This study evaluated Islamic school students' perspectives on using TikTok to learn English to enhance four English skills. In this study, 55 high school students from an Islamic country participated in an online quantitative research survey. The information was gathered using a Google Forms questionnaire. According to the research, students were enthusiastic about utilizing TikTok as a visual aid in enhancing their English skills. Writing was discovered to be the least likely of the four English skills to develop using TikTok Apps. Besides, students also stated a high preference for watching native English channels rather than local channels when learning English. As a result, TikTok has the potential to affect pupils' English proficiency positively. As a result, students and teachers can mix social networking apps to enhance English teaching and learning. Further research may be performed to look at students' voices, in the future teachers' views, and an experimental classroom design

Parents’ Perceptions on the Efficacy of Yorùbá Folktales in Cultivating Moral Values among the Youths

A quantitative study of parents’ perception of the efficacy of Yoruba folktales in cultivating moral values among the youths in Oyo State of Nigeria was reported in this study. Six hundred twelve parents selected through accidental sampling technique participated in the study. A 14-item close-ended researcher-designed questionnaire was employed for data collection. Mean, standard deviation, and the t-test were used for data analysis. The study’s findings revealed that the parents’ perception of the efficacy of Yoruba folktales in cultivating moral values among the youths was high, and there was a significant gender influence on their perception. The study concluded that Yoruba folktales cultivate moral values among the youth. It was recommended that parents should intensify efforts in ensuring that they engage their children with folktale narration and employ the moral values embedded in the tales to mold and educate their children to become good citizens.

Exploring Indonesian Lecturers' Perceptions and Practices on English Language Assessment

Assessments are crucial in teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL), impacting students' knowledge acquisition and influencing teachers' beliefs and training. The present research investigates lecturers' fundamental conceptions regarding assessing English as a foreign language (EFL) and their instructional practices in higher education. Twelve English department EFL lecturers participated in a study using purposive sampling, semi-structured interviews, and questionnaires. The research used a thematic analysis methodology to identify themes, classifications, and subcategories reflecting respondents' perspectives on EFL evaluation. The study's results showed that the subjects used diverse terminology to illustrate evaluation, offering a stimulating context for their respective methodologies. Furthermore, the participants believed that language assessment serves multiple purposes, including administrative and educational functions. Most respondents viewed evaluation as a continuation of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom instruction and acquisition, significantly influencing students' educational outcomes and learning strategies. Therefore, considering how assessments can improve student learning will likely influence educators' working in EFL assessment. Research highlights the need for professional development for lecturers to improve their understanding of language assessment and practice through workshops, training sessions, and resources

Google Translate in EFL Freshmen’s Writing Assignments: Uses, Awareness of Benefits and Drawbacks, and Perceived Reliance

Although technology use is inevitable among language learners, using Machine Translation (MT), such as Google Translate (GT), remains controversial in language learning. Despite its advances, it may be detrimental to L2 learning when used excessively, especially for those with more limited linguistic resources. This research investigates first-year EFL students' autonomous utilization of GT in writing assignments, explores their awareness of GT’s advantages and disadvantages, and assesses their perceived relative reliance on the technology. As many as 85 Indonesian EFL first-year students participated in this study by completing questionnaires consisting of closed-ended and open-ended questions. Even though most students recognized GT’s potential negative impact on language learning, this study reveals how various factors have contributed to its notably significant usage among them. While most participants reported using GT only occasionally and mainly at the word level, their use for translating longer texts was significantly higher than in previous research involving students at different English competence levels. Additionally, boosting confidence, convenience, and serving as language scaffolding were identified as GT’s main benefits, leading to students’ reliance on technology. Most expressed potential difficulty working without GT. Recommendations were made to support less-proficient students, given the growing prevalence of MT in language education

Does Interactivity in an English Presentation Affect its Preparation Process?

The purpose of this study is to clarify the differences in the process of students’ preparation and practice outside of class for a one-way or interactive English presentation. The participants were 105 third-year junior high school students in Japan. They were supposed to record their actions while preparing for each type of presentation outside of class for a week. A hierarchical cluster analysis was conducted on all learners based on a self-evaluation questionnaire administered beforehand. Three clusters were created from the dendrogram. Kruskal-Wallis test and multiple comparisons showed significant differences among all items. Each cluster was named "Self-rating (high)", "Self-rating (medium)", and "Self-rating (low)". These three groups were analyzed based on the records and the post-questionnaire. The results indicated that the amount of practice on the day of the presentation was greater for a one-way presentation in any group, while in an interactive presentation, the tendency of the group to “Self-rating (high)” was different from the others. The inclusion of interaction with listeners in a presentation confirmed motivation for further preparation, such as conducting research and creating additional questions and quizzes in advance, suggesting the possibility of a different range of effects on learning

Critical Pedagogy in an EFL Context: Towards Solving the Definition Precision Problem

Some critics mention the definition variety problem, or a lack of definitional precision, as a major problem with Critical Pedagogy (CP). One who has just been familiar with CP may not have enough information regarding its roots and its multidisciplinary nature. S/he may not know about the historical development of CP and thus may not even be acquainted with the possibility of the existence of different definitions and versions for CP. Therefore, a newly-arrived researcher may get confused encountering the different definitions of CP. On the other hand, the literature on CP does not seem to be directed at the new researchers. By having five phases, the present mixed-methods study offered a simple definition of CP encompassing all the common grounds in the literature using an extensive literature review, the Grounded Theory approach, and Factor Analysis. Ten Iranian EFL professionals in CP, besides 306 Iranian EFL teachers, participated in the present work. The results of the present work may be helpful in developing CP-based curricula and courses which look into the real needs of the learners and teachers in order to have a more fruitful educational system

The Effect of Parental Absence on Children’s Literacy Development: A Case Study of a Fourth-Grade Elementary School Student

The research analyzed the parental role in the literacy development of a fourth-grade Midwestern elementary school student in the United States of America. The subject selection was based on the beginning of the year assessment, which showed an early second-grade literacy level. Data were collected through observation and in-depth interviews with the homeroom teacher, reading specialist, and the subject for one semester. The observation notes, and interview transcriptions were coded. The four emerging themes were the subject’s literacy level, parental background, the caregiver’s literacy belief and behavior, the home literacy environment, and the subject’s literacy interest. The analysis showed that parental absence affected the subject’s lack of motivation in facing academic challenges and literacy difficulties. Low motivation led to low academic achievements, including literacy. The caregiver, which was the grandfather, did not display his parental role in reinforcing the subject’s literacy. A home literacy-rich environment was not created. The caregiver did not expose the subject to literacy-related activities at home. Meaningful conversation on literacy activities and achievements was not made between the caregiver and the subject, which was suggested to be the factor that caused the subject’s difficulties in processing and delivering information.  The limited parental support by the caregiver on the subject’s literacy activities and resources was analyzed to be the instrumental factor that caused the subject’s difficulties in reading and writing

Empowering Vietnamese EFL Learners at Tertiary Level: Investigating Factors Shaping Learner Autonomy in English Language Acquisition

This study scrutinizes the viewpoints of Vietnamese students studying English as a Foreign Language (EFL) regarding determinants impacting their autonomy in English language acquisition. Data was amassed from 117 Vietnamese EFL learners attending a university in Vietnam by using a survey-based methodology. The survey instrument, comprising Likert-type items, was predicated on well-established conceptual frameworks derived from antecedent studies. The study unveiled multiple key influences on learner autonomy, incorporating voluntariness, learner choice, adaptability in study alternatives, peer collaboration, and beliefs about the educator’s role, motivation, capabilities, and independence. These determinants underscore the significance of learners’ active participation, personal agency, social interactions, nurturing learning ecosystems, intrinsic motivation, efficacious learning strategies, and learner empowerment in cultivating learner autonomy. The implications gleaned from these results emphasize the necessity for pedagogical stratagems that encourage voluntariness, learner choice, peer collaboration, teacher backing, motivation, skill enhancement, and learner agency within English language educational environments. These pedagogical stratagems would better equip learners for the autonomous journey of English language acquisition, thereby enhancing the overall efficiency of English language education in the Vietnamese context