This study examines the implementation of a language revitalization program for East Makian, an endangered language, within senior high school settings. It further investigates the discrepancy between policy directives and actual classroom practices, given the language’s persistent endangered status. The primary objectives are threefold: to determine the program’s effect on students’ cultural awareness and interest; to assess its impact on the number of proficient speakers; and to identify the facilitating and hindering factors affecting program implementation. A mixed-methods explanatory sequential design was employed, involving 183 student participants and five key informants across three schools. Findings indicate that the program’s overall impact was rated as Good (34.68), characterized by a significant increase in students’ cultural awareness and interest. The program’s effectiveness was also rated as Good (34.48); however, this was structurally constrained by the absence of a formal curriculum. Supporting and impeding factors received a rating of Fairly Good (33.80), with teacher commitment identified as a key facilitator, while the lack of a standardized curriculum remained a major barrier. Notably, no statistically significant difference was observed between the group exposed to the program and the non-exposed group (t = 0.052, p = 0.958). These results suggest that while the program positively influences attitudinal outcomes, it does not lead to measurable improvements in students’ productive language skills.
Reluctance to speak English remains a persistent challenge for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners in higher education, where oral participation is essential for academic engagement and communicative competence. Despite years of formal instruction, a considerable number of university students continue to avoid English communication, suggesting that their reluctance extends beyond purely linguistic limitations. This study investigates the characteristics and determinants of EFL students' reluctance to speak English, with particular attention to the interplay of affective, linguistic, and contextual factors. Employing a mixed-methods design, data were collected from undergraduate EFL students at four public universities in Indonesia using a structured questionnaire containing Likert-scale items. Quantitative data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, while qualitative responses were examined using inductive thematic analysis. The findings indicate that students' speaking reluctance is a multifaceted phenomenon predominantly shaped by speaking anxiety, fear of negative evaluation, diminished self-perceived communicative competence, and instructional approaches that prioritize accuracy over interaction. Silence emerged as a context-dependent, psychologically motivated response rather than an indicator of disengagement. Institutional expectations, hierarchical classroom dynamics, and limited opportunities for low-risk oral practice further exacerbated learners' reluctance. This study advances EFL speaking research by conceptualizing speaking reluctance as an affective-interactional dimension closely linked to willingness to communicate and classroom silence in higher education settings. Pedagogically, the findings underscore the necessity for anxiety-sensitive instruction and the creation of psychologically safe communicative environments.
Cross-cultural teaching experiences, while often challenging, offer significant developmental value for pre-service teachers. Participants in such programs frequently encounter cultural norms and instructional contexts that diverge from their prior expectations. Despite the growing prevalence of international teaching practicums, empirical research specifically examining the expectation–reality gap in cross-cultural teaching remains limited. To address this gap, the present study investigates how Indonesian pre-service English teachers experience shifts between their initial expectations and classroom realities during a one-month teaching placement in Chiang Rai, Thailand. In addition, the study explores how such teaching experiences influence the participants' professional confidence and motivation. Employing a qualitative descriptive design, the researchers recruited five participants and conducted semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed thematically to identify recurring patterns and emergent themes. The findings indicate that participants experienced uncertainty and diminished confidence when confronted with unanticipated classroom events and cultural differences. Over time, however, the cross-cultural environment served as a catalyst for rebuilding both confidence and motivation, suggesting that such challenges can be reframed as opportunities for professional growth within international English language teaching contexts. The study concludes by emphasizing the necessity of preparing pre-service teachers not only in pedagogical skills but also in cultural awareness and adaptability prior to participation in international practicum programs.
Research on metaphor in religious discourse is essential, particularly in practical contexts such as preaching, where metaphor serves as a key vehicle for conveying abstract spiritual experiences and moral guidance. Despite its importance, metaphor use in religious settings remains underexplored, especially in digitally mediated forms of religious communication. This study investigates the use of metaphorical language in twenty Islamic online sermons focused on the theme of family. A balanced corpus was compiled, comprising sermons from ten male and ten female Islamic preachers, with the aim of analyzing the metaphors embedded in advice-oriented discourse. The inclusion of both genders allows for a comparative examination of potential differences in metaphorical expression between male and female preachers. The findings reveal that female preachers employ metaphors more frequently than their male counterparts. Furthermore, structural metaphors drawing on source domains related to future benefits—such as building, finance, and plants—are prominently used by both groups when conveying advice. These results suggest that while gender may influence the frequency of metaphor use, certain conceptual metaphors are shared across genders in the context of Islamic family-oriented preaching. The study contributes to the growing field of metaphor studies in religious discourse and highlights the need for further research on gender and metaphorical framing in digital religious settings.
Learner achievement benchmarks are typically operationalized through tests and assessments; however, students at newly established public universities in Bangladesh encounter a range of obstacles that hinder their academic progress. Despite receiving equivalent instruction under comparable teaching and learning conditions, learner performance varies markedly. Students, teachers, and administrators constitute the three primary stakeholder groups in any testing procedure, and their respective social and personal backgrounds, institutional contexts, and situational realities fundamentally shape assessment practices. This study investigates factors affecting test administration through semi-structured interviews with 35 participants: 26 students, 7 faculty members from the Department of English at a public university pseudonymously referred to as Padma Science and Technology University (PSTU), and two administrators—one from the department and one from the institution at large. Employing a qualitative design, the study examines both undergraduate and postgraduate programs through thematic analysis of interview data gathered from the three stakeholder groups. The results reveal substantial complexities permeating the testing process from the perspective of test takers, while also indicating that teachers and administrators encounter obstacles and appear to be operating under considerable strain. The findings provide analytic insights for anticipating testing and administrative challenges in analogous contexts, as well as for identifying areas requiring targeted intervention. The findings suggest that the prevailing situation demands heightened attention to the testing environment, reform of assessment policies, reinforcement of stakeholder roles and responsibilities, and systematic attention to other contributing factors shaping test administration as a holistic process. The research underscores the importance of context-sensitive inquiry, recognizing that each educational setting presents unique pedagogical demands. In so doing, the study emphasizes the critical role of context-specific formulations in fostering more effective and equitable test administration within Bangladeshi higher education.
This study investigates students’ difficulties in mastering listening comprehension and the strategies they employ to overcome difficulties in the English Education Department of UIN Ar-Raniry, Banda Aceh. This research aims to identify the types of listening difficulties experienced by students across semester levels and to examine the learning strategies they use based on Oxford’s (1990) Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL). This study employed a mixed-method design combining quantitative and qualitative approaches. The participants consisted of 104 students from different semester levels selected through stratified sampling. Quantitative data were collected using a questionnaire adapted from SILL, with mean scores categorized according to Oxford’s rating scale. Qualitative data were gathered through focus group discussions (FGD) and analyzed using Miles and Huberman’s (1992) interactive model, including data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings reveal that students experience listening difficulties at a medium level across five main indicators: accent and intonation, sentence structure, keyword identification, distinguishing key information, and understanding real-life situations. Among these, accent variation and sentence complexity were reported as the most challenging aspects. In terms of strategies, cognitive strategies emerged as the most frequently used, followed by compensation and social strategies, while memory, metacognitive, and affective strategies were used at a medium level. Higher-semester students demonstrated advanced strategic awareness and use of metacognitive and social strategies compared to lower-semester students. The findings contribute theoretically to the understanding of listening comprehension difficulties and strategy use in EFL contexts and provide practical implications for lecturers to design more strategy-oriented listening instruction.
This study examines the effect of the Teacher Professional Education Program (Program Pendidikan Profesi Guru, or PPG) on enhancing teacher competency in Indonesia. A quantitative approach was employed using a quasi-experimental design, comprising both experimental and control groups. The study population consisted of teachers across Indonesia, with the sample drawn from teachers in North Sumatra and Aceh Provinces through cluster random sampling. Observational techniques were utilized for data collection to ensure objective measurement of teacher competency. Descriptive statistical analysis revealed that the experimental group achieved a higher mean competency score compared to the control group, indicating superior performance among PPG participants. Furthermore, inferential analysis using an independent sample t-test yielded a significance value of less than 0.05 (p < 0.05), demonstrating a statistically significant difference in competency levels between teachers who had participated in the PPG program and those who had not. Based on these findings, it is concluded that the Teacher Professional Education Program exerts a significant positive effect on improving teacher competency in Indonesia. The program is therefore demonstrated to be an effective intervention for enhancing professional competence among Indonesian teachers. These results carry important implications for educational policy, suggesting that continued investment in PPG may contribute substantially to elevating national educational quality.
Academic writing presents considerable challenges for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners, particularly in mastering higher-order skills such as idea development and organization, as well as lower-order skills including vocabulary, grammar, and writing mechanics. Although instructor feedback provides valuable contextual and rhetorical support, it is frequently constrained by limited time and heavy workloads. In contrast, AI-based feedback offers prompt and detailed language corrections but lacks the capacity for in-depth conceptual and rhetorical evaluation. This study investigates the impact of combining lecturer and AI-generated feedback on EFL students' academic writing achievement and examines their perceptions of this hybrid approach. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was implemented with 25 fifth-semester EFL students. Participants completed a pre-test, participated in an integrated feedback intervention, took a post-test, and subsequently responded to a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. Quantitative findings revealed a statistically significant increase in overall writing scores from 67.56 to 79.48 (p < 0.001), with a very large effect size (Cohen's d = 1.78). Improvements were evident across all analytic writing components. Qualitative results indicated positive student perceptions, with lecturer feedback identified as conceptually clarifying and AI feedback as technically beneficial. Overall, the integrated feedback model effectively strengthened both linguistic accuracy and rhetorical development in EFL academic writing.
This study examines the professional identity development of Indonesian pre-service English teachers during a short-term international teaching internship in Southern Thailand, specifically exploring how participants perceived themselves as becoming "different persons" through this intercultural experience. Although existing research has established the role of intercultural encounters in shaping teacher identity, limited attention has been directed toward understanding how brief yet intensive overseas teaching placements contribute to emerging professional identities through processes of reflective meaning-making. Employing a collaborative narrative inquiry approach, the study analyzed written reflective narratives and semi-structured interview data collected from six Indonesian pre-service English teachers. The analysis focused on how professional identity construction unfolded through participants' everyday intercultural classroom experiences. The findings reveal that participants experienced substantial shifts in professional self-understanding, evidenced by expanded intercultural awareness, negotiated emotional and pedagogical challenges, and the development of adaptive teaching practices in response to unfamiliar classroom norms, multilingual interactions, and local school expectations. Critically, identity development did not result from intercultural exposure alone but emerged through sustained, reflective engagement with intercultural encounters throughout the internship period. This study contributes to the field of English language teacher education by highlighting the pedagogical and affective value of short-term international teaching internships and underscoring the necessity of structured intercultural preparation, guided reflection, and robust institutional support in fostering pre-service teachers' professional learning.
Corrective feedback constitutes a critical component in the development of speaking proficiency within English as a foreign language (EFL) contexts. Nevertheless, learners' subjective experiences of such feedback remain underexplored, particularly within the landscape of Indonesian higher education. This study investigates Indonesian EFL students’ narratives concerning the corrective feedback they receive in speaking classes and examines how such feedback shapes their speaking development. Employing a qualitative narrative inquiry design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with eight fourth-semester students from the English Education Department at UIN Sultan Maulana Hasanuddin Banten. The findings indicate that direct corrective feedback is perceived as the most impactful type, particularly for improving pronunciation, lexical range, fluency, and speaking confidence, owing to its immediacy and clarity. Indirect feedback, primarily delivered in written form, was found to facilitate grammatical reflection and reduce learner anxiety, although its effectiveness was contingent upon subsequent reinforcement. Peer feedback emerged as the most emotionally comfortable and collaborative modality, fostering learner engagement, autonomy, and willingness to communicate, especially in informal and technology-mediated settings. Collectively, the results suggest that effective speaking instruction necessitates the flexible integration of direct, indirect, and peer feedback strategies that are responsive to learners’ linguistic needs and affective dimensions. By foregrounding students’ narrative accounts, this research contributes to a more nuanced understanding of corrective feedback practices in Indonesian EFL speaking classrooms and offers pedagogical insights to support more learner-centered feedback design.
This study examines the discursive representation of Prabowo Subianto, a prominent Indonesian political figure, within a selected corpus of news articles published by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Employing Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) as the analytical framework, the research integrated both deductive and inductive analytical approaches. The deductive phase was grounded in Martin and White's (2005) Appraisal framework, which systematically categorized evaluative language into three attitudinal resources: affect, judgement, and appreciation. The inductive phase complemented this by uncovering hidden ideologies embedded within the news texts that may not be explicitly captured by the appraisal system alone. Data annotation was conducted using the UAM Corpus Tool to ensure systematic and replicable identification of attitudinal resources. The quantitative findings reveal that judgement constitutes the most frequently deployed attitudinal resource, accounting for 53.13% of all identified occurrences, followed by affect (30.96%) and appreciation (15.89%). Within the judgement sub-category, negative judgement of propriety, which evaluates behavior according to ethical and moral standards, dominates the discourse at 30.80%, collectively portraying Prabowo as morally problematic. Negative affect, in turn, reflects public fear and anxiety toward Prabowo's personal conduct and political candidacy, while appreciation resources highlight his strategic efforts to secure voter support. The study concludes that the predominance of negative evaluations aligns with the BBC's publicly stated commitment to universal human rights and liberal democratic values. Conversely, the presence of positive evaluations suggests a concurrent journalistic effort to maintain balance and impartiality, reflecting the inherent tension between advocacy-oriented reporting and the normative ideal of journalistic neutrality. These findings contribute to the broader understanding of how international media construct political identities in non-Western contexts and underscore the ideological underpinnings of ostensibly objective news discourse.
Numerous studies examining Duolingo within English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts have primarily focused on learning outcomes and user satisfaction, yet they seldom elucidate how vocabulary acquisition is systematically organized and sustained in learners’ daily routines. This gap is critical, as app-based language learning typically unfolds outside formal instructional environments. Guided by Activity Theory, this qualitative study conceptualizes Duolingo-mediated vocabulary learning as a dynamic activity system. Data were collected via an open-ended questionnaire administered to ten EFL learners recruited from an online language learning community, complemented by the researcher’s autoethnographic notes to enrich contextual understanding. Findings reveal that learners consistently engage in short, micro-sessions shaped by the platform’s segmented lesson structure. Sustained participation is enabled through self-imposed daily routines and the motivational affordance of socially visible progress indicators. Furthermore, learners actively negotiate contradictions-such as the tension between repetitive drills and meaningful use-by adjusting learning intensity or expanding their toolset to include external resources like personal notes and authentic media. These insights extend beyond descriptive accounts to inform more learning-centered design principles and pedagogical scaffolding strategies, ultimately fostering durable vocabulary development in technology-mediated, self-directed EFL environments.
This study examines the use of directive and expressive speech acts within the digital communication context of the mobile game King’s Choice, with a particular focus on how players interact across alliance, team, and kingdom chats. The investigation is theoretically grounded in Searle’s (1969) speech act theory-specifically his taxonomy of directive and expressive illocutionary acts-and Yus’s (2001, 2011) framework of cyberpragmatics, which provides analytical tools for understanding how online communication is shaped by multimodality and platform-specific affordances. Employing a qualitative descriptive methodology, the study analyzes 38 excerpts extracted from naturalistic in-game chat logs. The analysis reveals that directive speech acts manifest in various forms, including requests, commands, suggestions, advice, warnings, and prohibitions. Pragmatically, these directives serve to coordinate collective strategies, delegate in-game responsibilities, and maintain group cohesion during competitive events. Expressive speech acts are identified as apologies, compliments, expressions of joy, disappointment, regret, anger, and hope. These expressives function centrally in managing emotional states and negotiating interpersonal relationships within the game’s socially competitive environment. Notably, both speech act categories are frequently mediated by multimodal elements-such as emojis and stickers-which modulate illocutionary force and convey paralinguistic cues otherwise absent in text-based chat. This study extends extant research on platform-mediated communication by demonstrating how directive and expressive speech acts simultaneously fulfil strategic coordination and social bonding functions. In doing so, it highlights the interplay between linguistic pragmatics, multimodal affordances, and digitally situated interaction in contemporary gaming contexts.
The professional identity of prospective English teachers plays a pivotal role in enhancing the quality of educators in Indonesia, which in turn exerts a significant influence on the nation's overall educational outcomes. This study aims to (1) explore the teaching experiences of prospective English teachers from Muhammadiyah universities (EFL pre-service teachers) during their teaching practicum in the Philippines, and (2) describe how this transnational teaching experience contributes to the development and transformation of their professional identity. A qualitative approach with a case study design was employed. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, document analysis (including teaching practicum reports and reflective journals), and reflection journal entries maintained throughout the program. Participants were Muhammadiyah University students who completed a one-month teaching practicum in schools in the Philippines. Data analysis was conducted using thematic techniques, guided by the theoretical framework of teacher professional identity, enabling the mapping of students' experiences into key themes relevant to identity formation. The findings reveal that pre-service teachers encountered linguistic and cultural differences, novel pedagogical practices, pedagogical challenges accompanied by coping strategies, as well as emotional and professional adjustments during the SEA-Teacher program in the Philippines. Furthermore, this transnational exposure contributed to their professional identity development through shifts in their perception of the teaching profession, enhanced pedagogical confidence, and identity negotiation within a global context.
The insufficient integration of local cultural content into technology-enhanced English instruction may diminish the relevance and pedagogical effectiveness of reading activities in secondary English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom. This study investigated the extent to which incorporating local culture into a web-based Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL) environment improves ninth-grade students' reading comprehension and examined their perceptions of its implementation. Employing a one-group pretest–posttest quasi-experimental design within a mixed-methods framework, the study involved 379 students and two English teachers at an Indonesian secondary school. Quantitative data were collected through pre- and post-tests, while qualitative and perceptual data were obtained from semi-structured interviews and a student attitude questionnaire. The results revealed a statistically significant improvement in reading comprehension, with an average N-Gain score of 0.33, indicating a moderate learning effect. Furthermore, students reported positive perceptions of the platform's cultural relevance and engagement. These findings suggest that culturally responsive MALL-based instruction can enhance both learning outcomes and learner motivation, offering practical implications for integrating local cultural content into technology-enhanced English language teaching at the secondary level.
This conceptual paper examines the need to reconstruct English Language Teaching (ELT) paradigms within Islamic educational contexts through the lens of contemporary Islamic thought. In many religious educational institutions, ELT often faces a dichotomy between secular linguistic instruction and Islamic moral values. While previous studies have attempted to integrate Islamic values into ELT, most approaches remain additive and do not sufficiently address the philosophical foundations of language education. This study employs a qualitative conceptual research design based on systematic library research and content analysis to synthesize contemporary Islamic pedagogical principles with current ELT theories and practices. Through a process of conceptual synthesis, the research develops a theoretical framework that integrates Islamic ontological and epistemological perspectives into three key dimensions of ELT: curriculum design, instructional materials, and pedagogical practices. By de-westernizing materials and repositioning teachers as murabbi, the reconstruction offers a model where English proficiency and Islamic identity coexist synergistically. The analysis suggests that integrating Islamic values should move beyond superficial content inclusion toward a deeper philosophical realignment of language education. The proposed framework contributes theoretically to the discourse on culturally and religiously responsive ELT and offers conceptual guidance for educators in Islamic institutions seeking to balance global linguistic competence with the preservation of religious identity in the digital era.
The rapid advancement of digital literacy has catalyzed the transformation of technology-based English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instruction. Nevertheless, comprehensive mappings of research trends, thematic focal points, and current scholarly collaborations remain insufficiently integrated. Moreover, the scarcity of empirical research has often compelled teachers and learners to develop technological innovations independently. This study seeks to delineate the trajectory of digital literacy research within technology-based EFL learning, focusing on prevailing themes, patterns of research collaboration, and projected directions. Employing a qualitative bibliometric approach, this study analyzes 55 documents indexed in Scopus over the past five years, with data visualization conducted using RStudio. The findings reveal a pronounced emphasis on cognitive enhancement, the predominance of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL) and self-directed learning as the most highly cited concepts, the emergence of two principal thematic clusters—digital literacy with learning autonomy, and digital literacy with Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL)—as well as a robust regional collaboration network within Southeast Asia. These results confirm that digital literacy, EFL, and CALL constitute the core thematic foundations of technology-mediated language learning. Concurrently, the findings underscore the necessity for further research employing mixed-methods designs to develop a more holistic understanding of how to foster sustainable innovation in EFL learning grounded in digital literacy.
This study investigated gender-based differences in English learning autonomy among Indonesian university students enrolled in an English Language Education Department. A total of 108 students (52 males, 56 females) participated in the study. Employing a quantitative research design, data were collected using a validated questionnaire that assessed six dimensions of learner autonomy. Descriptive statistics and an independent-samples t-test were used for data analysis. The findings revealed that male students demonstrated a moderate level of autonomy (M = 2.93), which was comparable to that of female students, who also exhibited a moderate level of autonomy (M = 2.89). The t-test indicated no statistically significant difference between genders (t(106) = 0.454, p = 0.650), with a small effect size (d = 0.09). These results suggest that gender does not function as a determining factor of learner autonomy within this specific educational context. Rather, learner autonomy appears to be more substantially influenced by individual and contextual variables, including motivation, metacognitive skills, and institutional support. The study highlights the importance of designing inclusive, learner-centered instructional strategies that foster autonomy for all students, irrespective of gender. In general, these findings contribute to the growing body of research emphasizing that learner autonomy is a dynamic, developable construct shaped primarily by educational practices rather than demographic differences.
Despite the Indonesian curriculum’s explicit emphasis on Higher-Order Thinking Skills (HOTS), senior high school EFL teachers continue to experience difficulties in achieving a balanced integration of HOTS and Lower-Order Thinking Skills (LOTS) within summative assessments. This study investigates the challenges encountered by senior high school EFL teachers in assessing both higher-order and lower-order thinking skills in such assessments. Employing a qualitative descriptive design, data were collected from five EFL teachers in Magelang, Central Java, through semi-structured interviews and document analysis of teacher-made tests. The findings reveal a structural imbalance in which multiple-choice items—predominantly measuring LOTS—prevail, whereas HOTS-focused tasks remain limited in scope and frequency. This imbalance is attributed to institutional policies, students’ linguistic proficiency, pandemic-induced learning gaps, and insufficient teacher training in assessment design. The study concludes that meaningful integration of HOTS is contingent upon alignment among curricular objectives, assessment formats, teacher preparedness, and student proficiency levels. Such alignment necessitates enhanced assessment literacy among teachers and the provision of comprehensive instructional scaffolding within the Indonesian EFL context.
English for Specific Purposes (ESP) in vocational education has been considered as an essential requirement however, it is not consistently practiced within the classroom. In this context, the study explores Vocational English teachers’ conceptual awareness of ESP as well as their pedagogical understanding, orientation and practice concerning its implementation. A quantitative survey approach was employed to gather data and 30 vocational high school English teachers completed a questionnaire measuring familiarity with ESP, conceptual knowledge, perceived competence, attitudes and reported teaching practices. The results reveal that teachers are highly aware of ESP and they have a common idea about its need-analysis and field-specific orientation. Teachers in general also show the favorableness of attitudes to ESP and interest, feeling has to update their professional competence. However, this positive attitude is somewhat not realized in classroom. Although a large number of teachers claim to functionally include materials and vocabulary specific to the area, significant ESP elements such as systematic needs analysis, real material development or involvement with professionals in the industry are irregularly utilized. These results indicate that the ESP implementation in vocational schools is still an ad hoc practice and not systematic support through the curriculum. It is recommended to improve esp teachers’ conceptual understanding of esp and their practical classroom work by enhancing teacher development, instructional materials, and institutional correspondences.
