This study examines the effect of questions on fostering interaction in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms. It also seeks to determine the characteristics of questions that promote increased classroom interaction. Data were collected through video recordings of EFL classrooms which were analyzed using Discourse Analysis techniques. Participants in the study are consisted of a group of intermediate-level English students at the English Language Institute (ELI) of a Saudi Arabian university. First, participating classes were video-recorded and the data gathered was transcribed. The questions asked in each class were then divided into two groups: questions that were deemed to promote classroom interaction and questions that failed to create classroom interaction. Finally, the defining features of each group of questions were determined. Results showed a correlation between the questions' characteristics and the creation of classroom interaction. In other words, some question types significantly improved classroom interaction while others failed to do so.

Utilising a sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach, the current case study investigates the characteristics and frequency of the usage of verbal humour that positively or negatively affects the Saudi English as a Foreign Language (EFL) tertiary-level students across two different English language proficiency levels. The participants included 42 EFL teachers and 138 male EFL students from the English Language Institute (ELI) in King Abdulaziz University. The students were enrolled in the beginners (E101) and intermediate (E104) English language proficiency levels. The mixed-methods approach was implemented using audio and video recordings and a questionnaire as the data collection instruments. The findings stated the four main characteristics of both positive and negative verbal humours in Saudi EFL classrooms. These findings revealed that humour was more frequently used at the intermediate than at the beginner level, and that the most effective forms of humour at both levels involved language play, irony, jokes, and self-defeating humour. Suggestions, recommendations, pedagogical implications have also been presented.

As lockdown restrictions were implemented in most countries around the world with the subsequent transition to full-mode online teaching and learning, English language teachers (ELTs) in particular, had to adapt and adopt new teaching strategies. These unexpected changes to the medium or mode of teaching necessitated the provision of efficacious and coherent professional development (PD) training in order to smoothly navigate the transition from full-time (or semi full-time) onsite teaching and learning to full-mode online teaching. This research study, based on sequential explanatory mixed-methods research design, is aimed at exploring the availability and provision of ELT PD opportunities at English Language Institutes (ELIs)/English Language Centers (ELCs), at five major universities in Saudi Arabia and the perception of the ELT teachers on its coherence and adequacy. A total of 307 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) male and female teachers participated in a custom designed 20-item questionnaire on a 5-point Likert scale, as well as ten EFL teachers (6 female and 4 male) taking part in 40-minute semi-structured interviews, to explore their perception and opinions of online PD opportunities. Analysis of results of the gathered data indicated that the majority of the teachers felt that there were adequate online PD opportunities while the structures of these opportunities sufficiently addressed most of their needs. However, some teachers voiced concerns regarding the correlation between contextual, full-mode online teaching and the online PD sessions provided. Implications and recommendations for stake holders as well as for future research are given at the end of this study.

Remote online second language (L2) writing instruction, in general, and remote online L2 writing assessment, in particular, require a holistic structural approach that results in improving students’ L2 writing, as well as offering an authentic and fair assessment of students’ L2 writing performance. The study described in this paper employed a convergent parallel mixed methods approach where the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as the purpose of the research, necessitated the adoption of this research design since it can provide the basis for answering the question: What impact did full mode online teaching have on L2 education. In the survey part of the research, 241 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers working in Saudi Arabia participated in a custom-designed 30-item questionnaire utilizing a five-point Likert scale. In the qualitative part of the study, nine EFL teachers (four males and five females) participated in a semi-structured interview which lasted from thirty-five to fifty minutes. A detailed analysis of both the quantitative and qualitative primary data indicated that EFL teachers are aware of the importance of rubrics and standardized assessment procedures in awarding fair grades to students. Teachers also highlighted several important advantages of teaching online L2 writing remotely. However, the vast majority of teachers questioned the accuracy of online writing assessment, indicating the need for a more developed model for the post Covid-19 era. Recommendations included the adoption of unanimously suggested practices (by participating teachers) in teaching remote online L2 writing as well as mandating the presence of the students onsite during the sitting of the writing exams, thus providing the assurance of authenticity of students’ performance in the writing exams as well as the possibility to monitor all the students while they sit the exams.

This qunatitatively based research utilising quasi experimental design, sought to explore the effect of implementing the flipped classroom (FC) pedagogical approach on female, preparatory year program (PYP) English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students at the English Language Institute (ELI), King Abdulaziz University (KAU) in Saudi Arabia. An experimental group as well as a control group were assigned in this study. The data collection was carried out using multiple sources, including pre-and post-speaking achievement tests in addition to two custom designed questionnaires. The results revealed that the FC did not sufficiently enhance the experimental group's speaking skill to cause a statistical significance in comparison to the controlled group. On the other hand, students held a positive attitude toward the FC experiment and the used instructional videos. The study also aims to enlighten and familiarise EFL colleagues within the context of Saudi Arabia, as well EFL colleagues from around the world, with this pedagogical approach in the area of EFL education. Conclusions and recommendations for future research studies are presented at the end of this paper.