Free online resources are user-friendly technologies which have become available through the Internet in recent years and gaining popularity during Covid-19. Since learners use smartphones, free online resources are easily accessible. Books are portable, but learners find it somewhat difficult to learn English language via books which may only be available in the classroom context, whereas free online resources are easily accessed. The purpose of this study is to identify learners’ perception learning English via free online resources and traditional learning. Quantitative and qualitative methods were employed in the present study. Twenty-five international pre-elementary intensive English students took part in this study. It was found that learners perceived the free online resources as valuable tools for learning English in relation to reading, conversation, and vocabulary and also free online resources help promote free learning norms in learning the English language. The learners also had constructive attitudes towards free online resources. Free online resources always provide a motivating learning environment, enhance learners’ analytical and critical thinking skills, and encourage social interaction between teachers and learners, learners and their peers, and learners and other participants.

Social distancing and other protocols required during the COVID-19 pandemic have been particularly difficult for students who are disabled, especially hearing impairments students. During the Covid-19, many disabled students were impacted physically, mentally and their interactions may have been hindered. That could be one of the barriers for full and active participation in society during the Covid- 19. Therefore, this study aims to discover the challenges faced by hearing impairment students how it affects the communication and mainstreaming process. The data was collected from ten hearing impairments students and analysed qualitatively. The participants were aged between 19-22 and currently studying foundation programme in culinary arts in a skill transformation center. The participants were interviewed using impromptu interview questions via WhatsApp, which lasted about ten minutes for each participant. The findings show that there were four challenges faced by the hearing impairment students; hearing devices, disruption to comprehend the lesson, not familiar with the online devices and emotionally affected during online classes. The findings further reveal that the hearing impairment students hampered their social interactions skills towards others during the pandemic. It is hoped the findings would be useful for academicians, counsellors, doctors and other job professions to explore further research on hearing impairments and the framing of methodology to assist the hearing impairments in engaging with the society during the pandemic.

The purpose of the study was to analyse the use of speech acts on the first announcements of Covid-19 Movement Control Order (MCO) by the Prime Ministers of Malaysia and Singapore. It was also to discover if there were differences in the forms of these announcements which affected the nation in their respective countries. This study employed a qualitative method of analysis. The MCO announcements were taken from the available open sources. The data was analysed based on Searle's framework of speech Acts. It was found that the Prime Minister of Malaysia used directive speech acts predominantly (n=26; 52%) as compared to the Prime Minister of Singapore (n=20; 48.8%) when they implored the nation to comply with the tighter restrictions. The findings further revealed that both Prime Ministers were not familiar with declaration speech acts as shown in their announcements due to their democratic approach in administrating their countries, they were pleading to the nation in a firmly dignified manner. There were hardly any differences between the prime ministers in using speech acts in their announcements. Nevertheless, the announcements conveyed their messages to the nation regarding the severity of the Covid-19 pandemic. This study analyses the different types of speech acts used by the Prime Ministers as they update their country while maintaining a calm situation.

This study investigated the role of learners’ culture in their choice of learning preference. It took a closer look at how students cultural norms influenced collaborative writing performance. A survey approach was employed via a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews to tringulate the findings. Two Institutions were involved in this study, Institutin A comprised of Malay learners while Chinese learners represented Instituion B. The findings suggest that students’ learning is embedded in rich culture and attributes and as they interacted in their groups, they demonstrated positive values such as unity, tolerance, obedience and respectfulness. These values were more obvious among learners in Institution A. These leaners revealed that since young they have been instilled to practice and appreciate their culture and customs and this was seen in the way they interacted in the classroom. The students were sharing ideas politely and practising their cultural values even in the academic context. A few self-centred learners also changed their social behaviour from a selfish attitude to a more sharing and accommodating behaviour by the end of the study. At Institution B, some learners demonstrated positive values like unity and sharing attitude but they did not practice them throughout their group work. They were more individualistic and preferred individual work. It was apparent that the students’ cultural virtues transcended from the social to the academic setting and have become a part of their life. This paper concludes that cooperative group work is effective because of the students’ embedded values and culture, and that culture is a dominant controlling factor that impacts one’s way of learning and communicating in a formal ESL academic setting

The ability to speak well in English has always been a challenging task among students from the rural areas. There are various types of materials that have been developed to improve student’s fluency to speak English, and Reader’s Theatre (RT) is one of them. A study was conducted using Readers Theatre to help students improve their oral and reading skills in English in a stress free workshop. The workshop was a combination of language and arts activities that combined language skills of speaking and reading to improve students’ performance. The workshop was conducted among students over a period of three weeks. A survey was carried out on the student’s perceived learning experience to speak and read English whilst taking part in Reader’s Theatre. The findings of the study show that Reader’s Theatre was a good tool to boost high school students’ motivation to speak clearly and confidently in English when they collaborated and interacted with their peers. However, it was not the aim of the present study to check if students spoke or read more English materials outside classroom as a result of Reader’s Theatre workshop.