This study examines the antecedents and outcomes of classroom engagement of 412 Turkish English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. Grounded in self-determination theory and the self-system model of motivation, this mixed-methods study examined the relations between context (perceived autonomy-support from the instructor), self (basic psychological needs), action (behavioral, emotional, agentic, and cognitive engagement), and outcome (achievement and absenteeism). The results of structural equation modeling supported the hypothesized model and showed that learners' perception of their teachers' autonomy-support within the classroom predicted their need satisfaction, which in turn predicted self-determined engagement. Engagement predicted achievement and absenteeism within English courses. Semi-structured interviews showed patterns consistent with the quantitative results, and also that students felt their engagement would best be supported in classes with a positive social atmosphere. As well, their comments underscored the important role of language teachers in supporting learners' psychological need satisfaction, classroom engagement, and positive academic outcomes. The findings suggest strategies for English language educators to bolster students' engagement within the classrooms, including students who seem to be unmotivated, reluctant language learners.

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This study aimed to explore pre-service English teachers' perceptions of teaching speaking in Turkey, the importance they give to this language skill, and their self-evaluation of their speaking competence. With case design and maximum variation sampling approach, seven pre-service English teachers' beliefs about speaking skills were gathered in regard to motivational orientations based on Self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan 2002) and the data was analyzed according to interview questions. Findings revealed that the subjects, whether they were intrinsically or extrinsically motivated to speak English, had negative ideas about speaking instruction in Turkey though they all agreed that it was the most important language skill. The findings also showed that they felt incompetent in oral communication though they had different motivational orientations about speaking English. The findings are significant for understanding speaking instruction in English language classrooms from a motivational perspective and helpful for enhancing learners' speaking ability with intrinsic motivation.

This study aimed to investigate the beliefs of English as foreign language (EFL) learners about speaking in English and being a good speaker of English through metaphor analysis. A phenomenological approach was adopted and 60 EFL learners completed a questionnaire with demographic questions and two prompts focusing on the characteristics of a good English speaker (i.e., "Speaking English is like… because…" and "A good speaker of English is like… because…"). For the first prompt about speaking English, 46 valid metaphors were determined, which were categorized under five conceptual themes. For the second prompts about being a good speaker of English, 27 valid metaphors were given, with six conceptual categories identified. Findings showed that learners mostly perceived speaking as a skill requiring much effort and also giving pleasure. They described a good speaker of English as someone who is fluent at speaking, universal, disarming, wise, privileged and hardworking. The conceptual categories were also described with the speaking achievement and these categories were found to be connected to the degree of achievement. The findings gave insight into a better understanding of the speaking skill and what makes a good speaker of English for language educators.

This study aims to understand the extent to which English as a foreign language learners use technology for their autonomous language learning beyond the classroom. With a crosssectional survey design approach, the study focuses on learner characteristics. It first investigates the existing language learner profiles of 512 English major university students concerning autonomous language learning and out-of-class technology engagement. Then, details regarding the characteristics of existing learner profiles in terms of language proficiency, daily technology use time, a variety of digital tool use and the most beneficial tools are outlined. Within this frame, cluster analyses suggested two clusters: more autonomously engaged with digital tools and less autonomously engaged with digital tools. The findings showed that more autonomously engaged students tend to have greater languagelearning proficiency than the less autonomous group. The more autonomously engaged students also spent more time daily and used various digital tools in comparison to less autonomous technology users. While online websites and social media were the most frequently used digital tools for both groups, the use of podcasts, blogs and online language courses differed. According to the provided tool lists of learners, students benefited significantly from social media, online websites, dictionaries, and intelligent tutoring system applications (apps). Online games, YouTube, Instagram and other smartphone apps, which allow students to practice vocabulary and speak with foreigners, also had considerable influence on language development. The study findings provide insights for language teachers aiming to extend learners' in-class language-learning experiences beyond the confines of the classroom.

Although English is the de facto language of communication across nations in today's world, a limited number of foreign language learners are able to communicate well in English and perceive themselves as competent speakers. Investigating traits of proficient speakers of English and understanding the reasons behind their speaking skills can guide language teachers in creating supportive language learning contexts for their students. This study explores what proficient speakers of English do to gain success in speaking, and it sheds light on how to improve speaking skills in language learning. The study examines what factors play an important role in the language development of proficient speakers of English. Sixteen English as a foreign language (EFL) students who had the highest scores on English speaking tests volunteered for this study; four focus groups were created with four participants in each group. Content analysis results indicate that contextual factors-including self-practice, teacher factor, experience abroad, Turkish context, out-of-class technology use, and affective factors, including motivation and anxiety-are important for speaking enhancement. Findings clearly reveal that language learning should go beyond the confines of the school and be supported with technology-enhanced extracurricular exercises in EFL contexts. Moreover, what motivates language learners to study English and how they feel while speaking should be considered while teaching or planning their speaking lessons.

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