The quasi-experimental study investigated the effectiveness of using project-based learning (PjBL) activities as a teaching strategy in improving the oral communicative competence of Malaysian English language learners. The participants included 44 diploma students enrolled in a Communicative English course at a technical college in the Peninsular Malaysia, who were purposely selected for the study. The intervention comprised a 12-week lessons taught using PjBL teaching strategy and centred on eight PjBL activities. Data were collected using a speaking test and a listening test, which were administered as pre-tests and post-tests, and a student questionnaire which was administered at the end of the study. Data analysis involved the procedure of MANOVA, as well as descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation and percentage. The findings revealed a significant improvement in the learners’ overall oral communicative competence and a high perception of PjBL by the learners. It is concluded that PjBL teaching strategy is effective in improving the oral communicative competence of the English language learners. The study recommends the use of PjBL as a suitable English language teaching strategy for technical students who are generally low proficient English language learners.

Abstract-Today, we observe widespread application of the internet, both synchronous and asynchronous communication, by educators in many worldwide classes. Weblog (blog or web log) can be one of the instructional and integral components for ESL instructors. By applying interview and observation, this study reports on ESL students' experience and perceptions in applying weblog throughout a semester in a writing class in Malaysia. Besides, this study examined the effect of using Weblog on students' writing autonomy. The findings revealed that students enjoyed the process of publishing their writings, and exchanging their experience in the weblog. Students also acknowledged weblog as a tool which provides more opportunities to publish their writing freely, extend their interaction with their peers outside the class setting, be able to publish and share interesting videos, have the chance to look for the appropriate materials in the World Wide Web (WWW) and check their sentences in the Google simultaneously. Students enjoyed some features in weblog which cannot be found in conventional modes of teaching and learning, such as experiencing unlimited time and place, more independency and freedom in publishing and exchanging comments. With the empirical data presented in this study, weblog can be applied as a suitable instructional tool to promote autonomy among language learners.

Teachers are the core component of teaching and learning a second or foreign language; therefore, they should know what the learners consider as the most effective teachers’ characteristics which may enhance their learning. Accordingly, the main aim of the present study was to compare field dependent and field independent Iranian learners in terms of their perceptions about effective language teaching. Fifty intermediate Iranian learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) participated in this study and three instruments were utilized to collect the data. The first instrument was Oxford Placement Test (OPT, 2001) to test the homogeneity of the EFL learners. The second instrument was Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT) to classify field dependent learners from field independent ones and the third instrument was an effective EFL teaching questionnaire to record the participants’ perceptions of effective EFL teaching. The obtained results revealed that field dependent and field independent learners had different expectations in class. That is, for field dependent learners, confidence and open-mindedness in class were important characteristics of an effective teacher while for field independent learners, teachers’ knowledge and proficiency were important. Indeed, there was no significant difference between the perceptions of field dependent participants and the field independent EFL learners about the overall characteristics of an effective teacher. Knowing EFL learners’ cognitive styles can open new insights in the second language (L2) domain and lead to more influential teaching.

Information Communications and Technology (ICT) was first introduced through the Smart School project in 1997. Results from past studies on teachers' use of ICT were mixed whereby their confidence in using ICT and their use and integration of ICT in their classroom practice were incoherent. Hence, this study intends to investigate the confidence level and skills of current pre-service teachers in teaching the English language through the use of ICT. Forty six pre-service English language teachers were selected purposively from a local university and a teacher training college, based on these few criteria set within the limitations of this study. This atudy adopted and adapted the questionnaires from the ICT Integration Survey (Spazak, 2010) and Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) by Mishra and Koehler (2006). These questionnaires are adopted for the purpose of understanding the pre-service teachers' technological skills, as well as their content and pedagogical knowledge of English language teaching at the point in time when the data was collected. The data collected were analysed using the Statistical Packet for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Results showed that pre-service English language teachers are confident users of ICT, both for their own personal interests and to integrate ICT in their teaching.

To contain the spread of Covid-19, the Ministry of Education of China postponed the opening of schools for face-to-face lessons and launched an initiative of "postponement of school without suspension of learning". Therefore, nearly all educational institutions across China moved from traditional teaching practices to online teaching in the Spring semester of 2020. English language teachers in Chinese universities had to move their traditional physical instruction to online. The paper is designed to develop a conceptual framework of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers' acceptance of online teaching during Covid-19 in Mainland China. Based on the integration of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Ely's Eight Conditions of Change (ECC) and previous research, six constructs -attitudes, subjective norm, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, self-efficacy, and eight facilitating conditions are selected in the proposed framework. A comprehensive understanding of the framework is expected to provide a better insight of the factors that affect EFL teachers' acceptance of online teaching during the pandemic for the stakeholders and future studies.

Test preparation programs namely coaching, mock tests, and repetitive test-taking aid students in achieving language skills and comprehending the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test procedure. This paper attempted to find out the influence of test preparation programs on candidates’ IELTS test performance. A quantitative method was used, and an online questionnaire survey was conducted to obtain the data. The population of the study was the Bangladeshi students at Universiti Putra Malaysia. Probability sampling, specifically simple random sampling techniques were used to draw the sample. Data were collected from a total of 100 students, and SPSS was employed to analyze the data. The finding showed that mock test (r = 0.450), coaching (r = 0.496), and repetitive test-taking (r = 0.369) have a positive and moderate correlation with IELTS test performance. In contrast, the mock test, coaching, and repetitive test-taking have 23.4%, 35.3%, and 21.3% influence on IELTS test performance, respectively. This study has implications for candidates’ teaching and learning opportunities for competitive English language test programs. Furthermore, it will deliver a diverse viewpoint on the preparation programs and show their effectiveness for future reference. This study can be used as a guideline for future research to improve test preparation programs for better test performance.

Few studies have investigated the detailed procedure of systematically delivering and teaching metacognitive strategies in higher education. This study investigates whether explicit training in metacognitive strategies could improve undergraduates’ online reading comprehension over the pandemic. The results of this study contribute to teacher education programs to teach and apply regularly metacognitive reading strategies. In a quasi-experimental design, the experimental group and control group underwent 14 sessions of training. Semi-structured interviews and a Metacognitive Reading Awareness Strategy Assessment were conducted among experimental students. The data were collected using the reading test, Metacognitive Reading Awareness Strategy inventory, and semi-structured interviews in Malaysia. The results of Repeated Measure ANOVA showed the mean scores of students in the metacognitive group were significantly higher than the mean score of the students in the conventional reading group (F= 1.3,82.3) = 215.973. p <0.001). The results of the Metacognitive Reading Awareness Strategy Assessment showed that students had more awareness of global reading strategies (M= 3.511), followed by supporting reading strategies (M=3.468) and problem-solving strategies (M= 3.427). The thematic analysis result supported that students were moderate users of planning and monitoring strategies while evaluative ones were less frequent. The results also revealed that students perceived that lack of vocabulary knowledge, heavy dependence on their teachers, and lack of strategy training were the main causes of their reading difficulties. The findings implied that EFL teachers should introduce metacognitive reading strategies through appropriate and systematic instructions to enable the students to implement them in their academic reading.

Few studies have investigated the detailed procedure of systematically delivering and teaching metacognitive strategies in higher education. This study investigates whether explicit training in metacognitive strategies could improve undergraduates’ online reading comprehension over the pandemic. The results of this study contribute to teacher education programs to teach and apply regularly metacognitive reading strategies. In a quasi-experimental design, the experimental group and control group underwent 14 sessions of training. Semi-structured interviews and a Metacognitive Reading Awareness Strategy Assessment were conducted among experimental students. The data were collected using the reading test, Metacognitive Reading Awareness Strategy inventory, and semi-structured interviews in Malaysia. The results of Repeated Measure ANOVA showed the mean scores of students in the metacognitive group were significantly higher than the mean score of the students in the conventional reading group (F= 1.3,82.3) = 215.973. p <0.001). The results of the Metacognitive Reading Awareness Strategy Assessment showed that students had more awareness of global reading strategies (M= 3.511), followed by supporting reading strategies (M=3.468) and problem-solving strategies (M= 3.427). The thematic analysis result supported that students were moderate users of planning and monitoring strategies while evaluative ones were less frequent. The results also revealed that students perceived that lack of vocabulary knowledge, heavy dependence on their teachers, and lack of strategy training were the main causes of their reading difficulties. The findings implied that EFL teachers should introduce metacognitive reading strategies through appropriate and systematic instructions to enable the students to implement them in their academic reading.