rEFLections

English Language Teaching in Vietnam: Reflections, Innovations, and Insights by N. T. Vu et al.

2026-05-26T15:12:01+07:00

From Local to Plural Locality: Reconceptualizing Global Citizenship Education in Thailand and Asean

2026-05-18T14:34:21+07:00

This article examines the reconceptualization of Global Citizenship Education (GCE) within Thailand and the ASEAN context, advocating for a transformative and critical approach. It argues that current ASEAN curriculum initiatives, while ambitious, often adopt a content-oriented approach that fails to adequately promote critical thinking or recognize diverse identities. Drawing on Andreotti’s framework (2006, 2011) of soft versus critical GCE, the article proposes a shift towards a more reflexive, power-aware, and solidarity-focused educational model. The study explores four interconnected themes: evolving concepts of citizenship, the importance of plural locality in fostering global perspectives, curriculum inquiry approaches for GCE implementation, and the role of teacher agency. By integrating place-based education principles with critical GCE frameworks, the article suggests strategies for balancing local identities with global awareness. It critically examines the challenges and opportunities in implementing such approaches across the diverse ASEAN region, including the need to decolonize educational discourses and empower teachers as agents of change. The article concludes that effective GCE in Thailand and ASEAN requires a delicate balance between regional coherence and local adaptation, emphasizing the importance of context-sensitive strategies that respect cultural diversity while working towards shared educational goals. This approach not only enhances the effectiveness of GCE but also contributes to broader goals of ASEAN integration and global citizenship.

Exploring the Use of Hedges and Boosters in the Independent Study (IS) Manuscripts of Thai EFL University Students

2026-05-18T15:00:06+07:00

This study investigates the use of hedges and boosters in 20 Independent Study (IS) manuscripts written by English for International Communication (EIC) undergraduate students of a university. The analysis identifies and categorizes these linguistic elements, exploring their role in shaping students’ academic writing style. A total of 288 hedges and 53 boosters were found, with hedges appearing significantly more frequently, accounting for 2.24% per 1,000 words, compared to boosters at 0.41%. The most commonly used hedges included modal auxiliaries and verbs such as may, might, would, and seem, reflecting the students’ tendency to express uncertainty, caution, and approximation. In contrast, verb and adverb boosters like show, always, and clearly were used more sparingly, indicating a lower level of confidence in their assertions. The distribution of these elements varied across different sections of the manuscripts, with the Introduction containing the highest frequency of both hedges and boosters, while the Methodology section showed the least use. These findings suggest that students rely heavily on hedging strategies to create a more measured academic tone, indicating their awareness of the complexities of their topics. The study recommends targeted instruction and peer review to help Thai EFL students develop more rigorous and confident academic writing.

Addressing Challenges in Legal English: Strategies for Non-English Major Law Students

2026-05-26T11:47:09+07:00

This study examines the challenges faced by non-English major law students in learning Legal English, with a particular focus on how these obstacles affect their academic performance. Conducted at the College of Shariah and Law, Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University (IAU), the research explores the difficulties encountered by students who are required to study Legal English despite limited proficiency in the English language. The study investigates the impact of these challenges on students’ understanding of legal concepts and their overall academic achievement. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research integrates both qualitative and quantitative data, gathered through surveys, interviews, and student performance records. Data analysis involved coding qualitative responses from interviews to identify recurring themes and patterns, while quantitative data were analyzed using statistical methods to determine correlations between language proficiency and academic performance. The findings reveal that insufficient exposure to legal terminology significantly hinders students’ comprehension of legal texts and impedes their performance in assessments. In response to these findings, the study highlights the importance of providing more comprehensible input, such as simplified explanations, glossaries, and context-rich examples, to bridge the gap between legal terminology and students’ current language proficiency. Furthermore, the study underscores the crucial role of instructional strategies and classroom practices in shaping students’ learning outcomes. The study concludes with recommendations for enhancing teaching methodologies and materials, emphasizing the need for targeted support to bridge the gap between legal education and English language proficiency.

Exploring Methodological Waters: Mixed Methods in Philippine Applied Linguistics Research

2026-05-28T15:17:32+07:00

Drawing on a review of studies published in the Philippine Journal of Linguistics (PJL), one of the country’s oldest and most established journals, this paper presents a reflective analysis of how mixed methods research (henceforth MMR) has been applied in linguistics within the Philippine context. Through an examination of methodological approaches, integration techniques, and thematic orientations, the study identifies prevailing trends and emerging patterns in the use of MMR among Filipino applied linguists. While acknowledging the limitations of analyzing a single journal, this exploratory work serves as a preliminary mapping of MMR practices in the field, which provides an empirical basis for future, broader investigations across other reputable journals. Overall, this study contributes to the MMR tradition as it advances the broader discourse on mixed methods investigations by advocating for methodological pluralism and “methodological turn” and by espousing that mixed methods in applied linguistics research in the Philippines may have taken a different form and identity i.e., heterogeneous mixed methods. It also provides practical insights for training researchers at both undergraduate and graduate levels, particularly in disciplines where MMR has not fully gained traction yet.