Earticle

This classroom study examined the effects of written-plus-spoken peer feedback (PF) combined with teacher feedback in EFL writing instruction at a Japanese university. In two classes, students with no previous PF experience participated in the bimodal PF for half the class time regularly over 12 sessions. In pairs, they exchanged compositions with new partners and interacted by writing and speaking in English. Based on post-course questionnaire responses, this study investigated student perceptions of diverse aspects of the bimodal PF. Pre- and post-course English compositions were compared to examine the effects of the instruction on student writing ability. All compositions and written PF produced by the students were also examined quantitatively. The overall results showed that students had positive perceptions of the bimodal PF. Although the semester-long instruction did not appear to significantly improve students’ writing ability and confidence in English writing, the results suggest that written-plus-spoken PF is a promising combination that helps to enhance students’ motivation towards writing in English and to potentially improve their writing ability. Significant differences found between the two classes were also discussed.

This study investigates Taiwanese university student attitudes toward native English speaking teachers (NESTs) and non-native English speaking teachers (NNESTs) and examines the fallacy of native speaking from a student perspective. In total, 206 university students from Northern Taiwan responded to the questionnaire. The results suggest that (a) language skills, (b) purposes, and (c) levels of learning affect student selection of language teachers. More important, NNESTs were believed to be better at various aspects of learning, especially test preparation. This study examines NESTs and NNESTs from a student perspective and reminds English educators and parents that they should re-examine the role and influence of NESTs, especially in English as a foreign language contexts.

Over recent years, the study of self-regulation has replaced the study of learner strategies as it constitutes a process-oriented approach. The present study was an attempt to identify the Iranian EFL learners’ use of selfregulated vocabulary strategies (SRVS) in texts with L1 and L2 marginal glosses and those accompanied by technology-enhanced materials on the computer. The study also compared strategy use across gender, age, and field of study. There were three experimental groups in the study each of which received different type of vocabulary instruction. Experimental group 1 was taught new vocabulary items in the form of printed textual definition coupled with still pictures. Experimental group 2 was taught via marginal glosses in L1 and experimental group 3 was taught via marginal glosses in L2. All the participants were asked to fill out the self-regulating capacity in vocabulary learning scale (SRCvoc). The results of a one way ANOVA showed significant differences, and the Tukey post-hoc test showed that there was a significant difference only between the texts with still pictures and those with L1 and L2 marginal glosses. Regression analyses indicated that vocabulary strategy use was influenced by individual variables.

Cognitive semantic studies have shown that the dual coding of input (both verbal and visual) promotes the formation of memory traces and, the retention of information. These findings have prompted the use of mental imagery in language teaching, where pictorial elucidation has been found to improve comprehension. There are, however, some grounds for caution when it comes to the application of image-based pedagogy. Experimental research that has examined the effects of pictorial elucidation on idiom learning suggests that pictures are likely to facilitate comprehension, but may interfere with the retention of form of multiword units. The present study examined possible ways of integrating images and verbal descriptions so that both the comprehension and the production of idiomatic language are facilitated. The experiment compared the recall of meaning and form of the target idioms when pictures were provided by the teacher and when the learners had to draw their own images after reading verbal explanations. The results of the study will be discussed in light of the dual coding theory and the cognitive styles of the learners.

In many Asian contexts, issues of who teaches and educates teachers in English Language Teaching remain challenging with status accorded to socalled ‘native speakers’. Issues still remain after two decades of research calling for deconstruction of the native speaker fallacy. Drawing on critiques of the concept, as well as teacher education research, this paper suggests ways to deconstruct the maze of native speakerism. Recent Malaysian inservice training research shows that positioning and modeling can override the origin of the teacher educator, namely a so-called native speaker background. Descriptions of techniques to help deconstruct native speakerism at the interactional level are derived from teacher educator reflection on data. Possibilities for countering native speakerism are suggested through descriptions of how teacher educators may model and use humour to address perceptions of hierarchy. With the growing use of English as an additional language, research into who teaches or educates teachers could also address the challenges of hidden professional racism sustained by factors such as so-called Standard English. Practical approaches from teacher educator reflections on their interaction with Malaysian teachers suggest ways to reconstruct aspects of native speakerism.

This study explored, first, the use of oral communication strategies (OCSs) by fluent and nonfluent Iranian L2 speakers and, second, the association between gender and the use of different types of OCSs. To this end, 50 undergraduate EFL students (20 males and 30 females) at Shahrekord University (Iran) were randomly selected as the participants, and their recorded speech samples were rated by two raters. Furthermore, the OCS inventory used which included eight categories of strategies for coping while speaking and seven categories of strategies for coping while listening. The MANOVA results of the data analysis revealed that fluent L2 speakers employed more OCSs than their nonfluent counterparts. Specifically, the fluent speakers more frequently used social-affective, fluency-oriented, and meaning-negotiation strategies for coping with speaking problems and employed scanning and getting-the-gist strategies for coping with listening problems. However, nonfluent participants significantly utilized more nonverbal and word-oriented strategies for coping with listening difficulties. The findings suggest that nonfluent L2 speakers should be familiarized and made aware of the importance of effective OCSs.

The growing interdependency among nations around the world has called the needs for individuals to be globally competent. The so-called Koreans’ ‘crazy wave’ toward learning English and studying abroad is one of the prominent reflections of this phenomenon. However, only a limited number of studies have investigated the relationship between ones’ exposure to foreign culture and their levels of global competency. The current study attempts to identify global competency and assess the relationship between university students’ exposure to foreign culture and their level of global competency. One hundred twenty one students at ‘A’ university located in Seoul participated in the online survey. The data were analyzed with SPSS 17.0, using frequency analysis, correlation analysis, and independent-sample t-test. Only partial aspects of global competency showed a significant relationship with students’ exposure to foreign culture. While the levels of global understanding and English proficiency were all positively related to all types of students’ exposure to foreign culture, the levels of intercultural sensitivity varied depending on the types of exposure to foreign culture. The ways to promote university students’ general level of global competency are discussed based on the findings of the current study.