rEFLections

Evaluation of Technical Description Writing: An Assessment for ESP Learners in Engineering Programs

2025-12-30T11:37:56+07:00

This paper reports an empirical evaluation of a CBT (Closed Book Test) designed to assess technical description writing skills among first-year engineering students enrolled in an English for Specific Purposes (ESP) module. Grounded in Bachman and Palmer’s (1996) test usefulness framework, the study examines the assessment in terms of its validity, reliability, practicality, authenticity, interactiveness, and impact. The CBT required students to produce a written description of an electronic object, using appropriate terminology, critically evaluating the product, and suggesting improvements. Test development involved content expert validation, internal and external moderation, and alignment with ESP module outcomes. Data were collected through test scripts from the entire student cohort (N = 34), expert CVI ratings, post-test survey responses (Likert-scale and open-ended items), and moderators’ comments. Analysis included blind marking of all test scripts by two examiners using standardised analytic rubric, paired samples t-test for inter-rater reliability (p = 0.163), and exploratory factor analysis for construct validity. The mixed-methods approach combined quantitative analysis (survey ratings, statistical tests) with qualitative analysis of open-ended survey responses and moderator feedback. The post-test student survey across all six usefulness dimensions yielded consistently high mean scores (4.1–4.5). The evaluation confirmed the CBT's overall test usefulness across all six dimensions through multiple validation methods, with 85% of students affirming its effectiveness in improving their technical writing skills. Limitations include the small sample size, single-institution context, and potential response bias. Future research should focus on scaling the CBT model across institutions and disciplines, implementing hybrid automated scoring systems, refining rubric analytics, and conducting longitudinal studies to examine skill transfer to professional contexts.

Beyond Defensive Fixations: Using the Adult-Ego-Centric (ADEC) Model to Enhance Critical Thinking in L2 Speakers

2026-02-17T09:07:42+07:00

Critical thinking (CT) is central to education, including EFL and EMI contexts, yet effectively fostering it in learners remains a challenge. CT is often assessed through multiple-choice tests or essay writing, but rarely within the context of spoken interactions, which are more challenging, as responses are not only more spontaneous in nature but can also be influenced by a need to defend self-face rather than seek optimal solutions, particularly during disagreements. Defensive fixations, driven by a desire to protect face, hinder active listening necessary for critical engagement by triggering emotionally charged responses. The Adult ego state (Berne, 1960s) refers to the aspect of individuals’ personalities that enables accurate data processing and problem-solving using facts, reducing defensive fixations caused by prejudged thoughts (Parent ego) or reactive emotions (Child ego), which hinder CT in spoken interactions. This sequential explanatory mixed-methods design aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Adult-Ego-Centric (ADEC) instructional model on enhancement of CT in Burmese learners of English. A total of Sixty B2-level participants completed the four-week intervention. Quantitative analysis confirmed that the ADEC model significantly enhanced learners’ CT in spoken interactions, with qualitative data from interview and posttest responses providing triangulated support. Furthermore, perceived delayed post-test data indicated that such improvements were sustained, with participants reporting confidence in applying CT ability in real-world settings weeks after the course. Overall, the findings have demonstrated that the ADEC model can effectively enhance CT in L2 speakers by specifically addressing the socio-cognitive barriers that impede critical engagement during spoken communication.

Literature Review and Theoretical Framework Sections in the Thesis Defense Presentation Slides: Their Rhetorical Structure by Chinese English-majored Master’s Students

2026-02-20T14:08:36+07:00

This study aims to investigate the rhetorical structure of the Literature Review (LR) section and the newly observed Theoretical Framework (TF) section in thesis defense presentation slides (TDPS) written by Chinese English-majored master’s students. A further purpose is to examine whether these two adjacent sections share the same communicative functions. In the corpus of 20 TDPSs, eight LR sections, and eight TF sections were discovered and collected as data for the present study. Through move analysis using Chen and Kuo’s (2012) framework, four moves and seven steps were identified in the LR sections, whereas for the TF sections, four moves and three steps were found. Moreover, our findings confirmed that these two sections share similar communicative purposes, namely, to establish the territory of one’s research and to indicate the niche, both of which reveal how the niche is occupied. Nevertheless, the variations in terms of the status of certain moves and steps identified lead to a conclusion that these two sections place the emphasis on different communicative functions. Based on the findings, pedagogical implications for the production of the TDPS genre are provided.

Voices of Support and Stigma: A Comparative Analysis of English and Bahasa Indonesia Comments on Gay Indonesian Coming-Out Stories on YouTube

2026-03-10T08:06:52+07:00

Being gay in Indonesia, where Islam is the dominant religion, presents significant challenges. Sexual and gender minorities face heightened risks of abuse and discrimination. This study analyzed viewers’ reactions in English and Bahasa Indonesia comments on the coming-out videos of three gay Indonesians: Yos, Bagus, and Acep. A total of 300 comments (100 comments per video: 50 in English and 50 in Bahasa Indonesia) were selected based on defined criteria. Appraisal Theory (Martin & White, 2005) was applied to examine how attitudes were expressed. The findings reveal significant contrasts between English and Bahasa Indonesia comments. English comments were largely supportive, emphasizing bravery and resilience. In contrast, Bahasa Indonesia comments were highly polarized, with a strong tendency toward moral condemnation and religious-based criticism, often framing homosexuality as deviant. Some extreme negative comments even contained threats of violence. However, a small yet notable number of supportive comments in Bahasa Indonesia acknowledged Yos’, Bagus’, and Acep’s courage, indicating emerging acceptance within certain social groups. These findings highlight how deeply ingrained cultural and religious norms shape public discourse on LGBT identities in Indonesia. While hostility dominates, the presence of supportive voices suggests gradual shifts in societal attitudes. By examining these polarized reactions, this study provides insights into Indonesia’s LGBT communities in digital spaces. The results underscore the need for greater awareness and advocacy to foster acceptance and protection for sexual minorities in restrictive cultural contexts.

Framing Multicultural Competence in ASEAN Teacher Preparation Policies: A Critical Discourse Analysis

2026-03-10T08:20:19+07:00

This study examines how teacher preparation policies across ASEAN incorporate multicultural competence (MC), with two main objectives: (1) to analyze how the Southeast Asia Teacher Competency Framework (SEA-TCF) conceptualizes MC, and (2) to assess the extent to which this framework aligns with national teacher standards in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand. Guided by Gorski’s (2009) model for multicultural teacher education (MTE) and Van Dijk’s (2015) socio-cognitive discourse framework, this qualitative document analysis finds that both the SEA-TCF and national standards mainly emphasize cultural sensitivity and inclusive pedagogies—particularly through the SEA-TCF Competency 3: Community Engagement. While the SEA-TCF provides an intergovernmental standard that promotes multicultural competence, national standards reveal uneven institutionalization shaped by distinct sociopolitical and cultural contexts. Policy discourses across the region favour tolerance, harmony, and interpersonal respect, yet seldom advance toward the more critical and transformative dimensions—teaching in sociopolitical contexts (TSC) and teaching as resistance and counter-hegemonic practice (TR). The findings suggest that ASEAN’s teacher education policies remain within a liberal paradigm marked by administrative coherence but limited critical reflexivity. The study calls for regional and national policy reforms that embed equity and social justice into teacher education and develop teachers’ capacity to act as change agents in increasingly diverse educational systems.

Exploring Undergraduate Students’ Experiences Reading Multimodal Texts in an EFL Reading Classroom: Evidence from Indonesia

2026-03-20T09:28:42+07:00

Despite a plethora of research interest in teaching reading over the past few years, scant attention has been paid to exploring undergraduate students’ experiences of reading multimodal texts in the EFL landscape. This study seeks to fill this gap by capturing undergraduate students’ experiences of enacting the role of reader-viewers as text navigators, designers, interrogators, and interpreters of multimodal texts in an EFL academic reading course where the first author served as the instructor. Five undergraduate students (two females, aged 19–20 years) were recruited as participants in this study. Data were derived from the students’ narrative frames, a story template consisting of incomplete sentences and a blank space to capture their experiences of reading multimodal texts. The data were qualitatively analyzed using content analyses. The findings demonstrated that the use of a narrative frame enabled the students to reflect on and explore their experiences of enacting the reader-viewer in multimodal texts. Drawing on the findings, this study suggests that undergraduate students expand their reading practice by enacting the reader-viewer role in multimodal texts, thereby enabling them to develop multimodal reading competence.

Addressing Challenges in Communicative English Language Learning (CELL) among Tribal Students in Bangladesh: Insights and Solutions

2026-03-30T09:07:05+07:00

This study examines the challenges faced by tribal students in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHTs) of Bangladesh in achieving proficiency in Communicative English Language Learning (henceforth, CELL). In Bangladesh, English as a Foreign Language (EFL) is predominantly taught as an academic subject, which limits its practical application in real-life communication. This challenge is particularly pronounced among tribal students in the CHTs, where linguistic diversity, geographical remoteness, limited educational resources, and economic struggles create barriers to language acquisition. This mixed-methods study examines the challenges faced by higher secondary tribal students in the Khagrachari district regarding the four core language skills within the context of CELL, using research instruments such as questionnaires, focus group interviews, and classroom observations. Thirty tribal students participated in surveys, complemented by two focus group interviews for deeper insights. The findings reveal persistent listening, speaking, reading, and writing struggles attributed to limited English exposure, cultural differences, and inadequate instructional materials. Rural students encounter even more significant difficulties due to restricted resources and fewer opportunities for English engagement outside the classroom. Grounded in Vygotsky’s social constructivism (1978), which emphasizes social and cultural interactions in learning, the study highlights the need for interactive and collaborative CELL approaches to address these challenges. To mitigate these challenges, the study suggests implementing culturally responsive teaching methods, enhancing access to diverse and contextually relevant learning materials, and incorporating structured communicative activities such as role-plays, group discussions, and practical exercises. These interventions aim to improve the English proficiency of tribal students, facilitating their academic achievement and social integration in an increasingly competitive linguistic landscape.

From Inbox to Insight: Materials Design for Global Business Email Communication

2026-04-08T15:43:26+07:00

Existing English for Specific Purposes (ESP) materials for business communication often rely on standardized, decontextualized models that fail to reflect the linguistic diversity and pragmatic demands of real workplace email exchanges. To address this gap, the present study designed and evaluated ESP teaching materials for business email writing that integrate genre-based pedagogy, English as a Lingua Franca (ELF)-aware principles, and data-driven learning (DDL). The materials incorporated authentic business emails from ELF professionals and scaffolded writing tasks that guided learners from genre awareness to independent corpus-informed production. The study involved 30 Thai undergraduate EFL students (CEFR A2–B1) enrolled in an English for Business Email Writing course over 11 sessions. Quantitative data from pre- and post-writing tests were analyzed using paired-sample t-tests, revealing statistically significant improvement across four email genres (p < .01) with large effect sizes (Cohen’s d = 1.72–2.80). Qualitative reflections from semi-structured interviews further illuminated how authentic input, guided DDL practice, and teacher and peer mediation fostered learners’ confidence, genre control, and intercultural sensitivity. The study contributes a replicable model for developing authentic, needs-responsive ESP materials, offering practical implications for educators and materials designers seeking to prepare learners for multilingual workplace communication.

Examining Factors in Thai EFL Learners’ Receptivity to Corrective Feedback in Writing Through Factor Analysis

2026-04-08T15:52:24+07:00

This study aimed to explore the factors in Thai EFL learners’ receptivity to corrective feedback (CF) in writing. The study employed a questionnaire based on previous literature, which was sent out to 1,000 Thai EFL students. The factors determined from the data were analyzed through exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), with the KMO measure of sampling adequacy being very high (0.947) and Bartlett’s test for sphericity confirming the significance of the results (p < .000). The analysis revealed seven factors in students’ receptivity to CF in writing: self-regulated feedback engagement (SRFE), comprehensive feedback expectation (CFE), contextual feedback preference (CFP), peer feedback acceptance (PFA), affective feedback sensitivity (AFS), feedback usability preference (FUP), and feedback application awareness (FAA). The CFA confirmed that the proposed seven-factor model demonstrated an acceptable fit to the empirical data (χ² = 2250.855, df = 807, CMIN/DF = 2.789, RMSEA = 0.067, CFI = 0.853, GFI = 0.801, AGFI = 0.756, RMR = 0.027), indicating a theoretically sound and statistically valid structure. These findings indicate that EFL learners respond to CF through multiple interrelated dimensions shaped by their self-regulatory capacity, affective sensitivity, cultural orientation, and usability preferences. The study concludes with a discussion of theoretical implications, pedagogical applications, and directions for future research.

An Integrative Review of the Components Required for Designing and Developing an EFL Teaching-Speaking Intervention

2026-04-09T08:27:26+07:00

Designing and developing instructional interventions for English language teaching (ELT) has been a central focus of second language (L2) research, particularly concerning the development of speaking skills. This study aims to identify the essential components required for the design and development phases of instructional interventions, which was achieved through an integrative literature review of previous research on teaching speaking. Given the extensive empirical research on this topic, only literature published between 2020 and May 2024 was considered. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework was adopted by the current study. The thematic analysis of the 21 selected studies identified six key components necessary for designing and developing teaching speaking interventions, with the module serving as the primary form of intervention. These components include “performance assessment,” “intervention timeframe,” “materials selection,” “lesson arrangements,” “language proficiency,” and “learning objectives.” Results also demonstrate that instructional interventions can enhance L2 learners’ speaking proficiency. This study provides suggestions for the design and development of L2 speaking interventions, such as teaching modules, to ensure curricular sustainability.

Different Explicitness in Translations of Korean Feminist Literature: A Comparative Analysis of Kim Ji-young and Mother

2026-04-09T10:01:38+07:00

This study examines the English and Thai translations of two Korean literary works, Kim Ji-young, Born 1982 and Please Look After Mother. Using a feminist translation approach, the study found that the four versions employ most of the word choices, sentence modifications, explanations, and footnotes as feminist texualisation, but the translators for each of these novels do not fully adopt this feminist stance. Both the English and Thai translators of Mother portray women as enduringly difficult due to the presence of phallocentrism in their stories. Unlike Kim Ji-young, the Thai translator of Mother employed a more elaborate characterisation to elicit empathy from the reader by depicting the female main character’s great suffering. However, the Thai translators of Kim Ji-young used more footnotes to help readers understand the original’s sociocultural contexts. Some paratextual features, particularly in the Thai translations of Kim Ji-young appear to reflect the original intention of the writers, potentially reinforcing Korean perceptions of both feminist books. The paper also contends that specific translation procedures are indicative of the translators’ supportive ideological stance on the feminist movement, albeit at varying degrees of explicitness in the English and Thai translations.

An Analysis of Rhetorical Devices Used for Marketing Eco-Friendly Products on Facebook in the United Kingdom

2026-04-16T13:54:31+07:00

Eco-friendly products are designed to reduce harm to the environment. These products utilise advertisements for promotion, where advertisers often employ rhetorical devices to make their messages more compelling to consumers. This study aims to examine the rhetorical devices used in marketing eco-friendly products on Facebook in the UK. A total of 120 Facebook posts, comprising 20 posts from six eco-friendly toiletries brands based in the UK, were selected for this analysis. The study focused on 10 rhetorical devices identified in previous advertising research. The results showed that the imperative mood was the most frequently used device, followed by alliteration, imagery, analogy, rhetorical questions, hyperbole, comparison, and repetition. In contrast, assonance and puns were less commonly found. This study demonstrates the value of rhetorical devices in promoting eco-friendly products on Facebook.

Le Petit Prince and the Variation Across German Translations from a Linguistic Perspective

2026-04-21T11:08:10+07:00

Saint-Exupéry’s Le petit prince is a literary classic that has been read worldwide, across generations, and languages. Different translations in the same language are widely available, providing numerous aspects to be explored. Its German translations are of particular interest because of the active movement of retranslating this work. This research thus has two main objectives: 1) to provide an overview of key similarities and differences of various German translations in terms of vocabulary, grammar, and structure; and 2) to identify important characteristics of German through different translations with reflections from comparisons among the translations themselves and between them and the original text. A self-compiled parallel corpus of the original French text and six German versions was examined qualitatively using a traditional linguistic framework. In terms of lexical variations, key words were mostly translated with the same German equivalents; however, variation between two and three synonyms is common. Regarding the grammatical categories, variations are found in numbers, tenses, moods, voices, and pronouns. In terms of syntactic structure, three important features can be identified: the variation between full verbs and constructions with a nominal or a prepositional phrase, the variation of phrase types, and word order variation. Important characteristics of German were also reflected in the length difference, variation of addition and omission, and topicalization. All these aspects contribute to the variation across translations, which goes partially back to German’s richness in forms and structures rather than the concept of retranslation motivated by the shifts in readership. The research findings may be useful for teaching German as a foreign language.

Unearthing Collocations of Keywords in News Coverage on the Ancient Town of Si Thep, Thailand’s Seventh UNESCO World Heritage Site: A Corpus-based Study

2026-04-21T11:15:11+07:00

The ancient town of Si Thep in Phetchabun, Thailand, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2023, boosting tourism and raising the demand for effective English communication in the area. This study’s objectives are to analyze keywords and their collocational patterns in a specialized corpus of news coverage on Si Thep (hereafter: the ST corpus), comprising 30,311 words, gathered from 76 English language news articles, published between April 2015 and February 2024. The results reveal three grammatical categories of keywords: nouns (N = 81), adjectives (N = 12), and verbs (N = 7). The keywords in the ST corpus are integrated into 172 types of lexical collocations, grammatically classified as Adjective + Noun (43.60%), Noun + Noun (37.79%), Noun + Verb (7.56%), Noun + of Noun (6.40%), Verb + Noun (4.07%), and Verb + Adverb (0.58%). Notably, the keywords “local”, “cultural”, “ancient”, “UNESCO”, and “Dvaravati” are associated with the highest number of collocates in the ST corpus. Various pairs of keywords and collocates also represent nine topics of the ancient town of Si Thep, as reported in the news, e.g., Si Thep Overwhelmed by Overtourism, Si Thep Threatened by Oil Drilling. This study may offer alternatives for teaching collocations of specialized vocabulary and developing instructional materials, reflective of authentic language use, as well as methodological guidelines for English teachers in other locations designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Using Service-Learning as Experiential Learning in EFL Classrooms: Fostering Global Citizenship in the Thai Context

2026-04-21T11:24:49+07:00

This study explores how service-learning, conceptualised as an experiential learning approach, fosters global citizenship among students in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms in Thailand. Guided by Kolb’s (1984) experiential learning theory and UNESCO’s (2015) Global Citizenship Education (GCED) framework, the study adopted a qualitative design to analyse students’ reflections, interviews, and artefacts from two course-based service-learning projects: the Kids Asa Project and the GC-based Mini English Lesson for the Blind. The latter required students to collaboratively design inclusive English lessons for visually impaired learners by integrating GCED principles such as empathy, inclusion, and respect for diversity into their pedagogical decisions. Findings reveal that service-learning fostered students’ development across the cognitive, socio-emotional, and behavioural dimensions of GCED. Cognitively, students reconceptualised English as an inclusive communicative practice rather than a system focused solely on linguistic accuracy. Socio-emotionally, sustained interaction with blind learners promoted empathy, respect, and heightened self–other awareness. Behaviourally, students enacted these understandings through inclusive pedagogical design and expressed a growing sense of responsibility and civic engagement. Overall, the study illustrates how global citizenship was experienced not as an abstract or idealised concept but as a lived and locally grounded practice enacted through small-scale actions. By highlighting both the pedagogical possibilities and practical constraints of service-learning in EFL contexts, this study offers a nuanced and attainable conceptualisation of GCED in language education.

Exploring the Impact of Topic Interest on EFL Writing Quality and Writing Quantity: A Mixed-Methods Study

2026-04-22T13:53:55+07:00

This mixed-methods study aimed to assess the impact of topic interest on writing quality and writing quantity, as well as explore the perceptions of EFL learners toward topic interest in the writing process. Thirty-one secondary education EFL learners were asked to complete argumentative writing tasks under two topic interest conditions, namely, high topic interest and low topic interest. This was followed by semi-structured interviews conducted with six participants. Writing quality was assessed by means of an analytic rubric evaluating content, organization, language use, lexicon, and writing mechanics, while writing quantity was measured through the number of words written in the writing tasks. Results revealed that topic interest had an impact on overall rubric scores, the content component, and the number of words produced. Perceptions of learners toward their levels of interest in the topics for the writing tasks highlighted individual and situational components of topic interest, as well as the effect of prior knowledge in their writing. The results contribute to research emphasizing the integration of interesting topics in EFL classrooms to foster motivation, enhance learning outcomes, and support the development of EFL writing skills.

Turning Café into K-afé – An Exploration on Fan Identity, Interactions and Placemaking in Thai K-Pop Fan Cafés

2026-04-27T08:40:35+07:00

Recent sociolinguistic research increasingly engages with K-Pop’s semiotic complexity, yet the intersection of fan identity and public space remains underexplored. This study examines how fans, as active participants in the K-Pop “fanscape” (Kim, 2017), construct both personal and place identities through geosemiotic elements (Scollon & Scollon, 2003) in fan-organized cafés in Bangkok. Drawing on ethnographic data, the results show that fans use linguistic elements both to mediate identity and to organize interaction. The interactions work with spatial arrangements to construct a sense of collective identity. The interdiscursive blending of artistic and commercial signs which transforms the fanscape into a hybrid space of both consumption and production reinforces the identity construction. The study contributes to a broader understanding of how identity and place are co-constructed through semiotic practices in contemporary K-Pop fan culture.

100 Great Activities in Language Teaching by P. Ur & S. Thornbury

2025-12-30T11:22:22+07:00