ABSTRACT This study investigates whether large language models (LLMs) can provide a cost‐effective alternative to human‐generated metapragmatic input for the explicit teaching of L2 pragmatic meaning. Building on previous research into Korean first‐person pronouns, the study examines whether GPT‐4‐generated explanations of the honorific pronoun ce can support learners’ understanding of both stereotypical and contextual meanings. Twenty learners of Korean at Australian universities participated in individual and group interview sessions centred on Kim Jong Un's use of ce in a 2018 inter‐Korean summit speech. Prior to instruction, learners primarily interpreted ce through broad notions such as politeness, respect, and formality, differing from L1 speakers’ stronger emphasis on relational meanings such as lowering oneself and elevating others. Learners were then exposed to GPT‐4‐generated metapragmatic explanations derived from repeated prompting and coding procedures. Following the intervention, participants increasingly incorporated the concept of “lowering oneself” into their interpretations of contextualized pronoun use, producing explanations more closely aligned with L1 speakers' relational and hierarchical understandings of ce . The findings suggest that LLM‐generated input can effectively support the development of L2 metapragmatic understanding when embedded within guided pedagogical interaction, while also offering scalable possibilities for pragmatics‐focused instructional materials development.
ABSTRACT This study examined joint profiles of motivation and mindsets among 392 secondary school students in Hong Kong and their associations with basic psychological need satisfaction (BPNS), English learning anxiety, and English achievement. Latent profile analysis (LPA) identified four distinct profiles: extrinsic‐fixed, intrinsic‐growth, average‐motivated, and conflicted‐motivated. Multinomial logistic regression showed that autonomy, competence, and relatedness satisfaction significantly predicted profile membership, with competence satisfaction showing the largest estimated odds ratio for intrinsic‐growth versus extrinsic‐fixed membership. The outcomes differed sharply across the profiles. The intrinsic‐growth profile attained the highest English proficiency and lowest anxiety, while the extrinsic‐fixed profile obtained the lowest English test scores and reported high anxiety. Notably, students in the conflicted‐motivated profile reported relatively high perceived proficiency but had lower‐than‐average actual proficiency. Their anxiety was high and did not differ significantly from that of the extrinsic‐fixed profile. These findings highlight distinct combinations of motivation and mindsets and their associations with BPNS, anxiety, and English achievement.
ABSTRACT Previous research has shown that non‐native accents can negatively affect listeners’ perceptions of lecturers’ competence, teaching quality, and hirability. Listener‐focused interventions, such as awareness‐raising instructions in the form of brief texts encouraging awareness and fairness have been shown to mitigate such biases immediately after the intervention, yet their long‐term impact remains unclear. This longitudinal study examined the immediate and long‐term effects of awareness‐raising instructions on evaluations of moderately Dutch‐accented English lecturers. A total of 349 highly proficient L2 English listeners with various nationalities were randomly assigned to intervention or control groups and evaluated lecturers at two time points, 12 weeks apart. Participants who received awareness‐raising instructions rated lecturers more positively on status, likeability, dynamism, teaching quality, and hirability at the first time point. However, these effects did not last after 12 weeks and did not transfer to a novel speaker at the second time point. These findings suggest that brief awareness raising instructions can temporarily reduce accent‐related bias but may be insufficient to produce lasting or generalized changes in evaluations.
ABSTRACT Language teacher identity (LTI) has attracted growing attention in language teacher education, yet relatively little research has examined how pre‐service language teachers construct teacher identities across both reflective accounts and naturally occurring classroom interactions. This qualitative study investigates how two pre‐service English language teachers in Southwest China constructed teacher identities during teaching practicum, drawing on classroom observations, interviews, and written reflections. The findings highlight three interconnected dimensions of teacher identity construction: interpreting and evaluating classroom experiences, negotiating self‐ascribed and other‐ascribed teacher identities within mentoring relationships, and imagining possible teacher selves. By examining classroom interaction alongside participants’ interpretations of their teaching experiences, the study provides a situated account of how pre‐service language teachers understood and negotiated their emerging professional identities during teaching practicum. The findings underscore the significance of classroom experiences, mentoring relationships, and imagination in understanding pre‐service LTI construction.
ABSTRACT This case study explores how first‐year English as an additional language (EAL) students experienced and responded to linguistic prejudice toward “GenAI‐style” writing. In a GenAI and Writing course focused on critical awareness of GenAI's affordances, limitations, and ethical use, data included two rounds of semi‐structured interviews, 44 screen recordings of writing sessions, and 23 submitted drafts. Linguistic prejudice was applied as an analytic lens to interpret how GenAI‐style was perceived and policed. Thematic analysis indicates that GenAI‐style writing could be seen as a suspicious signal, prompting gatekeeping that labels highly polished EAL writing as inauthentic. Participants responded with three strategies: (1) strategic disclosure management shaped by course policies and instructor stances, (2) rhetorical–stylistic re‐voicing to reduce an “AI feel” while maintaining authorial identity, and (3) epistemic vigilance via verification and source tracing. The study calls for inclusive pedagogy that treats GenAI‐style as a discussable resource and prioritizes agency, voice, and ethical, evidence‐based use.
