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Despite a great deal of research literature supporting task-based language teaching (TBLT), very little is known about how TBLT actually influences the EFL classroom in practical terms. This study thus attempts to provide a much-needed link between research and practice where TBLT is concerned. Specifically, this paper focuses on the impact of TBLT on Japanese EFL university students’ willingness to communication (WTC) in English. Administering McCroskey’s (1992) widely used WTC scale, the researchers measured the WTC of two groups of Japanese EFL university freshmen: 192 students who received task-based instruction (TBI) and 43 who received other types of instruction. Questionnaires were given at the beginning and at the end of the semester (after 16 weeks). The results of the questionnaires showed that the students that had received TBI had significantly increased their overall WTC scores, Group Discussion WTC scores and Public Speaking WTC scores over the course of the semester, while the WTC scores of the control group in all three sub-categories did not change much at all. Hence, providing some practical support to the psycholinguistic research literature advocating TBLT, this study was able to demonstrate some of the real-world benefits of TBLT in the Japanese EFL context.

Willingness to communicate (WTC) is a key concept in English language learning and communication. The literature has shown that WTC in a non-native English speaking environment is influenced by a multiplicity of factors, one of which is English proficiency. However, findings on its effect on WTC have been inconclusive. Therefore, this study investigated whether there was a statistically significant difference in WTC levels among students with different English proficiency levels and the ability of proficiency to predict WTC. The participants were 375 twelfth-grade Thai EFL students from two Southern Thailand government secondary schools. They responded to an adapted WTC scale which had been translated into the Thai language. The one-way ANOVA followed by a Tukey HSD test were used to analyse significant differences, while a simple linear regression assessed the ability of proficiency to predict WTC inside and outside the classroom. The results revealed that there were statistically significant differences in WTC between low, moderate and high proficiency students. It was also found that English proficiency could predict students’ WTC inside and outside the English classroom, but it only accounted for a small percentage of the variance. Findings of the study have implications for English language teaching and WTC research.

In the current body of knowledge about the influence of native English-speaking teachers (NESTs) on the professional identity of non-native English-speaking teachers (NNESTs), the fundamental question of ‘What exactly do native English speakers (NESs) mean to NNESTs?’ has been left unanswered and the voices of preservice NNESTs are largely absent. This study examined the influence of NESTs as ‘significant others’ in the English language teaching profession on preservice NNESTs’ identity by looking into how preservice NNESTs interpret the term native English speakers, accept native speaker norms, and respond to the active recruitment of NESTs through the national policy in Taiwan. Survey and interview data were collected from 258 preservice English teachers. The findings show that although the participants held diverse views on who constitute NESs, they shared a unanimous subscribingto native-speakerism. The participants gave conditional support to the policy of recruiting NESTs while highlighting their opposition to uncertified NESTs and differentiated payment. Implications to teacher education and policy decisions are provided.

In this article, we discuss key issues about English language proficiency in Indonesia, focusing in particular on the level and kind of proficiency that English language teachers need to have to support their classroom teaching. We first define the concept of proficiency and how it is usually measured, and then present some data about teachers and students’ English language proficiency in Indonesia and the Asian region. The next section discusses research that helps us understand why a threshold of proficiency is required for effective teaching. As many teachers may not have reached a level of proficiency considered sufficient for effective teaching, we then discuss key theoretical principles from SLA that can be used as a basis for developing a training programme to help raise teachers’ proficiency. We conclude by calling all stakeholders (i.e., policy makers, language education providers and professional associations) to work together and find ways to support teachers in their effort to acquire a higher level of proficiency in English.

As the second phase of a larger-scale study, the present study attempted to explore the effect of selfreflection through an awareness raising technique on novice and experienced Iranian EFL teachers’ pedagogical beliefs enactment. To this end, a personal practical theorizing process was employed both as a method to make teachers’ practical beliefs explicit and as a consciousness-raising technique to increase teachers’ awareness of their beliefs, thereby stimulating the teachers to convert their beliefs into actual classroom practice. In the first phase of the study, the pedagogical beliefs and practices of the participants were examined and discrepancies were found in novice teachers’ pedagogical beliefs and practices. Within the domain of the qualitative research, a multi-case study design was utilized, employing eight novice and experienced teachers who were selected based on purposive sampling. The data were analyzed using a constant comparative method around common themes and categories, which were identified as distinctive features of teachers’ personal practical theories; these same categories were then compared with teachers’ practices. The results showed that, except for teachers’ content knowledge, the pedagogical beliefs of novice and experienced teachers were represented differently in their practices. However, after the theorizing technique, the teachers’ practices became more in line with their pedagogical beliefs. With respect to teachers’ professional development, the novice teachers who were initially concerned with maintaining order went through self-assessment and reflection, adopted new identities as real teachers, and entered into a state of maturity.

The learner-centered nature of strategies-based instruction (SBI), which promote language learning and human growth processes, along with the mental processing hypothesis with its stress on optimal cognitive load as a learning prerequisite, provided the incentive to this study. We investigated the contribution of a one-year-long SBI to the nurturing of intrapersonal skills (psychological outcome), and inferential knowledge and reading ability (educational benefits). Forty undergraduates experienced strategy training (treatment group) and normal reading instruction (control group) for 50 class sessions over two consecutive semesters. The treatment group practiced strategy training and higher-order (critical and creative) reading processing, while the control group experienced traditional instruction mainly focused on comprehension checks, vocabulary development, and writing activities. SBI significantly contributed to the promotion of intrapersonal, reading, and inferential skills, but was ineffective for display knowledge development. The results were accounted for in light of the information processing and mental effort hypotheses and were consistent with human development and education for life paradigms.

This study aims to identify and investigate the role of task value (drawn from expectancy-value theory), surface/deep learning strategies, and critical thinking for predicting language learners’ selfregulation and ultimate language achievement in a single framework. To this end, 190 participants, majoring in English at bachelor’s level at a state university in Iran, were selected based upon convenience sampling. A structural equation model showed that both motivational and cognitive components were significant predictors of language achievement and self-regulation. The results reveal that task value is a positive predictor of deep/surface learning strategies and metacognitive selfregulation, which provides evidence that awareness of the importance and value of a task, directs learners to choose more appropriate self-regulation strategies to monitor their process of learning and structure their own cognitive manners. The findings demonstrated that critical thinking predicts improvement in language achievement. Theoretically speaking, it has been argued that the ability to critically analyze learning materials and evaluate information enables learners with advanced proficiency to actively take part in the learning process, be further dedicated to their tasks, and more effectively and efficiently engaged in learning strategies, therefore making more successful learners. Finally, the implication for teachers and policy makers is discussed.

Anxiety among students in non-English speaking learning contexts remains a dynamic construct due to moment-by-moment fluctuations influenced by different variables – teacher, peers, task, among others. To understand the complexity of speaking anxiety, this study presents the results of case studies of two low, moderate, and high anxious graduate students chosen based on their anxiety selfreports. Data sources include a self-report anxiety questionnaire, heart rate monitor, idiodynamic selfrating, observation, and semi-structured individual interview. Each participant was asked to wear a heart rate monitor while speaking and being observed by the researcher. In addition, the participants were asked individually to rate their moment-by-moment anxiety by using the idiodynamic method. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted, transcribed, and coded accordingly. The use of five data sources revealed findings that demonstrate the strength of considering specific short periods of time and individual level studies when investigating speaking anxiety. Methodological implications were generated to investigate the complex nature of anxiety in non-English speaking contexts.

Despite Thai students having studied English from the primary to tertiary level, Thais continue to have the lowest English proficiency levels among their ASEAN neighbors. This fact has raised serious concerns about Thailand’s capacity to viably compete in the globalized economy. This paper reports findings of a quasi-experimental study designed to determine the effectiveness of employing CAinformed instruction in a Thai university English conversation classroom. Based on these findings and those found in two previous studies undertaken in the same institutional context, the authors provide an argument for the integration of CA within the CLT-centered university-level EFL classroom. This integration, the paper argues, raises learners' awareness of the genuine nature of naturally occurring conversation and, in doing so, can have a positive impact on their oral proficiency in English.

This study employed a concurrent mixed method to find out whether Chinese young EFL learners (7th- to 9th- graders) were anxious, what caused them to feel/become anxious in English speaking class, how anxiety affected their learning of (spoken) English, and what differences existed in English speaking anxiety among the learners. Both quantitative (199 questionnaires) and qualitative (8 interviews) data were collected. The major findings were: (1) each grade sample was not anxious when speaking English in class. Few students were afraid to speak English, to make mistakes and to be laughed at in class, (2) the majority did not feel anxious when speaking English, a few did so due to such reasons as peer pressure, fear of making mistakes, fear of losing face, low self-confidence, little/no preparation, little practice, fear of being the center of attention, task difficulty, a limited vocabulary, poor English and wrong pronunciation, (3) anxiety seemed to have a negative effect on students’ learning of (spoken) English, and (4) differences occurred in English speaking anxiety levels, causes for and effects of anxiety among the learners in different grades.

The current study investigated the effects of role-playing simulation activities in the improvement of 45 Thai EFL university students’ business English oral communication. Firstly, a pre-speaking test was administered in order to get data on the students’ business oral communication skills. After the completion of each unit, the participants were asked to perform role-playing simulations according to the given scenarios in the course. A post-speaking test was used at the end of the 15-week instructional period as well as a questionnaire that investigated the students’ attitudes towards activities. The results showed that the teaching method had positive effects on the improvement of students’ oral communication skills. Furthermore, there were statistically significant differences between the mean scores of the pre- and post-tests. The students improved most in acting confident, whereas problem solving appeared to be less successfully improved through these activities. The data gained from the questionnaire revealed the students’ positive attitudes towards learning through role-playing simulation activities. It is suggested that for more sustainably effective oral communication in business English contexts, teachers should give more sufficient practice with problem solving and fluency buildingnbuilding.

Teachers must be able to comprehend their textbooks in order to fully benefit from their preparation programs. However, it is yet unclear whether textbooks used to teach challenging content to preservice non-native speaking English teachers might be beyond their ability. To investigate this question, a textbook readability analysis was performed with the Coh-Metrix text analysis tool. Textbook understandability was also assessed by means of maze passages given to teacher candidates in a pre-service English teacher education program. Readability analyses results indicated that the majority of the texts are excessively challenging for L2 readers at the level of the participants. Understandability findings revealed that many texts were able to be read independently but that all texts could be understood with scaffolding. Contrary to prior understandability research findings that showed that these textbooks were too difficult, this study found them to be suitable for their audience. However, a correlation between text understandability and course grades indicates that ability to comprehend the text could relate to course performance. Implications are that EFL teacher educators must recognize the importance of readability for textbook selection criteria and provide learners with access to other supplementary materials to scaffold their learning.

While the literature on popular Face Threatening Acts (FTAs) such as complaining, requesting, promising, apologizing, and giving and receiving compliments is thriving, the speech act of giving critical feedback in an intercultural setting is quite understudied (but see Itakura & Tsui, 2011; Nguyen, 2008, 2012). In addressing this issue, this paper aims at examining how American and Asian students utilize mitigating strategies when giving face-to-face critical feedback. The study was also designed to record these students’ strategy modification in order to adapt to an intensified level of face-threat. Ten participants (five American and five Chinese students) were recruited to join a three-part interview. For the first component of the study, the subjects watched a video of a badly presented presentation and played the role of the presenter’s classmates to comment on the presenter’s presenting skill (Task A). The face-threatening level was then enhanced as the interviewees were required to imagine facing and giving feedback directly to the presenters (Task B). The second step features the participants reading four written arguments and making critical evaluations (Task C). The change in facethreatening level was marked when the participants’ comments were unexpectedly challenged by the interviewer who pretended to hold an opposite viewpoint (Task D). Finally, a semi-structured interview was carried out to find out the participants’ perspectives on giving critical feedback. Collected data reveal fairly equivalent use of mitigating devices by American and Chinese students in Task A and C, while some divergences in strategies were observed in Task B and D.

The present study considered the effects of oral reading on the English proficiency of EFL learners in the context of restricted real-life oral English communication. This case study was conducted in a university in Pyongyang, DPR of Korea. Over six months, EFL students were encouraged to read aloud task-related English materials before peer interactions and other speaking activities in the classroom. Audio materials were recommended as a model of correct and natural reading for oral reading practice. Sufficient oral reading practice proved to have prepared the learners to use the language easily and naturally in their follow-up peer interactions. Out of the classroom, daily oral reading practice was promoted, which provided learners with frequent oral exposure to a range of English texts. The participants appeared to be highly motivated and showed swift progress in oral performance. The findings imply that oral reading serves as an essential scaffold for peer interactions, increasing EFL learners’ accuracy and fluency and boosting confidence in oral production.